With the sales of electronic cigarettes reaching an estimated $1.7 billion in 2013, Rep. Stephanie Kunze, R-Hilliard, said her bill is focused on banning sales of the nicotine-infused products to people younger than 18. She said a national study recently found that the number of middle- and high-school students who have tried e-cigarettes doubled in one year.
“This new product is opening up an entirely new generation that can be addicted to nicotine,” Kunze said. “There is also an alarming trend of e-cigarettes being used as the vehicle for other drugs.”
When the user inhales, an e-cigarette heats up nicotine-infused liquid inside, releasing a vapor that is inhaled and exhaled. They come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, cotton candy and Dr Pepper.
Rep. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said keeping e-cigarettes away from children is important, but the bill defines the products under a new category that protects them from state cigarette taxes and laws such as the indoor smoking ban.
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Kunze said the bill does not prevent future tax changes and she doesn’t understand why groups including the American Cancer Society and heart and lung associations are opposing it when they backed a similar measure last year in Indiana.
The Cancer Society has said that it did not become aware until recently that the bills were part of a nationwide push by the tobacco industry to avoid having the products taxed like regular cigarettes.
The Cancer Society says higher taxes are more effective at keeping tobacco products away from teenagers than laws restricting sales to youths.
E-cigarettes “contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and derived from tobacco,” said Jeff Stephens of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network of Ohio. “There is no reason to give these products special treatment in the (law).”
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Recent Posts
- E-cigarette ban is a victory for public health 3/25/2015
- E-cigs may be cleaner, but not necessarily safer says Mid-Atlanic ALA, timeleader.com (PA) 19 Feb 2014
- ACS opposes bill aimed at stopping children from using electronic cigarettes, Columbus Dispatch 14 Nov 2013
- ALA Minnesota basically admits anti-ecig position has nothing to do with lungs or health, nujournal.com 12 Feb 14
- ACS pretends opposition to ban on ecig sales to minors is because it might miss some, KUMN New Mexico, 6 Feb 14
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