Idaho: intended state legislation on e-cigs (ban to minors)

[Tom09]

Article: E-Cigarettes Raise Concerns From Idaho Officials (e.g. here or here)

[...]
"It's a tobacco product but it's being marketed like a candy cigarette," said Rene LeBlanc, director for the South Central Public Health District. "It's mimicking the same smoking behavior but you're being told it's not the same."
[...]
Idaho lawmakers and health officials are currently looking to ban minors from being able to purchase e-cigarettes, and a proposal could be introduced in the coming state legislative session. Unlike tobacco products, individuals under 18 years old can legally purchase e-cigarettes in all but six states across the nation.
[...]
For now, health officials are gathering support for a statewide ban on e-cigarettes for minors. A resolution is being sponsored by legislators from north Idaho. State Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley a retired physician and member of the House Health and Welfare Committee hadn't heard about the resolution when contacted by the Times-News but said he would look forward to reading it over. Republicans from Coeur d'Alene, Rep. Bob Nonini and Sen. James Hammond, have both signed on to sponsor the resolution.

"Idaho wants to follow in the footsteps of other states that are stepping up to regulate these products," LeBlanc said. "An all-out ban is a whole other mess, but we can get people on board to stop minors from purchasing these things."

 

[Vocalek]

You have to love this part!

According to school administrators and store owners, the focus on banning minors' use of the devices may be misplaced.

School districts across the Magic Valley haven't seen any reports of students smoking e-cigarettes on their campuses, nor have local schools updated their discipline manuals to include banning e-cigarettes. At this point, e-cigarettes are treated the same as any other type of tobacco product, said Scott Rogers, superintendent for the Minidoka County School District.

"We haven't had any incidents where it was reported," he said. "I'm not saying we won't ever have to look at it. Policies are constantly in the works, so possibly next year we might be updating our manual."

While schools are hardly the only place minors go to smoke, the SCPHD youth smoking cessation program hasn't seen that many participants dabble in electronic smoking.

"In my classes, I've heard some of my kids talk about using them before," said Elvia Caldera, health education specialist for the SCPHD. "But none of them talked about liking it. Real cigarettes are still cool to kids and so they just go for those."

I was not at all impressed with the reporter's use of the word "However," in the following sequence.

While the ALA has had a heavy hand pushing for a ban in north Idaho, they have not tracked how many minors are using the e-cigarettes in any state or in the nation, said Carrie Nyssen, spokeswoman for the health advocacy group.

However, the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association estimates that there are close 1.5 million Americans using e-cigarettes, said Tom Kiklas, co-founder of the advocacy group.

The word "however" can signal a contradiction of a facr or idea in the sentence that came before. The ALA doesn't know how many minors are uisng them, however, Kiklas says that it is close to 1.5 million.

Many readers will not catch the fact that the first sentence is talking about minors, and the second sentence is talking about adults.

 

[Vocalek]

Check out the comment on the other story: Officials wary of electronic cigarettes | Statesman Journal | statesmanjournal.com

He names two organizations that are not mentioned in the story and tells folks not to believe all the stuff they didn't say.

 

[rothenbj]

I don't need to even look and I have a good idea who the pea brain is and what two organization he's speaking about.

 

[Ande]

I think we have to start a serious effort to get Electricman a JOB. Who the hell has time to find, and troll, virtually every reference to ecigs on the whole darn internet??? Wish I did. (I wouldn't troll, but would love to have the spare time.)


That aside, this article is far from the worst. The "however" was a little misleading, but...overall, it's not a bad article.

And for what it's worth, I support a ban on sales to minors, though I'm not especially worried about it. I spend a fair amount of time with teenagers. I suppose they should not be allowed to buy ecigs, just as they aren't allowed to buy regular cigarettes. But let's be honest- They ARE buying regular cigarettes. They are NOT buying ecigs.

So there is a red herring in this "think of the children" way of thought. Protecting them from the danger of using a product that they aren't that interested in.

Best,
Ande

 

[sqirl1]

the law's ok, but the reasoning isn't. go ahead, make it so you gotta be 18 to buy them, that's FINE! most states don't let minors buy NRTs, or require a prescription to allow a minor to use NRTs, that's not the issue. calling them "candy cigarettes" on the other hand, that's going too far.

EDIT: and oh god, electricman is involved? oh well F him, he's probably just some autistic 13 year old with no life.

I gave him something to get him all worked up:

"Oh noez it's Electricman! I r so scared!

seriously dude, get a life. are you even a legal aged smoker or are you some socially inept 14 year old parroting your health class teacher? ....because in any case, you can't have much of a social life to google/ look on ECF for E-cig articles it's like.... really? What do you gain from this?"