CASAA
What is the CASAA?
The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization with an all-volunteer board and a grassroots membership of more than two hundred thousand individuals from all walks of life, and we are growing daily. We are a consumer organization, not a trade association. We are dedicated to ensuring the availability of reduced harm alternatives to smoking and to providing smokers and non-smokers alike with honest information about those alternatives so that they can make informed choices.
Since CASAA’s founding in 2009, we have educated the public and increased awareness about the benefits of reduced harm alternatives to smoking, including e-cigarettes (also known as vapor products). We also encourage responsible legislative policy designed to improve public health by recognizing that smoke-free nicotine-containing products are inherently far less dangerous than smoking.
Within this site you will find published news stories, scientific studies, links and informational materials to help educate the public about Tobacco Harm Reduction and to assist CASAA members in their advocacy efforts to keep vapor products and other harm reduction methods available, affordable, and effective.
Some Facts About CASAA
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CASAA was formed in 2009 as an advocacy group to raise awareness and protect our right as consumers to access reduced harm alternatives.
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CASAA was created as an answer to the efforts by various members of the tobacco control community to ban tobacco harm reduction (THR) products and in the belief that there is strength in our numbers.
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CASAA is a consumer organization, not a trade organization.
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The original CASAA 12-member Board of Directors was elected by members of the electronic cigarette and smokeless tobacco community. CASAA’s present board is self-perpetuating.
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CASAA’s Board of Director members are all volunteers and receive no financial compensation.
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CASAA’s bylaws strictly limit the number of individuals with industry ties allowed to serve as Board members to 33.33% or less to prevent industry interests from ever having a majority vote or even the ability to control a quorum of the board. Currently, we have eight board members, one of whom is a retailer.
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CASAA is a registered non-profit organization in Alabama and is a recognized 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization. As a 501(c)(4) organization, CASAA pays no income taxes on the donations it receives; however, contributions to CASAA are not deductible by the donor as a charitable contribution.
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Although donations to CASAA are accepted from many sources, CASAA has no financial or policy agreements with industry stakeholders. CASAA’s policy for allocating resources is that all contributions are used for efforts that will maximize consumer access to and awareness of low-risk, smoke-free nicotine and tobacco products.
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CASAA maintains a web site for the purpose of providing easy access for members and the general public to news articles, Calls to Action, Local Alerts, scientific research studies, legal actions, pending legislation and educational materials regarding vapor products, smokeless tobacco, and THR issues.
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As of August 2016, CASAA has more than 200,000 registered members. Membership in CASAA is free.