Indiana Senate passes bill (H 1225) banning e-cigarette sales to minors, sent to Gov. Pence

[Bill Godshall]

Indiana Senate passes bill (HB 1225) banning e-cigarette sales to minors, sent to Gov. Pence.
Enrolled Act, House Bill 1225
Indiana General Assembly


To send an e-mail to Gov. Mike Pence urging him to sign HB 1225 (even though e-cigarettes aren't marketed to youth) at
Governor Pence: Ask Mike

To call his office.
Phone Number: 317-232-4567

 

[Placebo Effect]

There is one negative in HB 1225 that I just discovered 2 or 3 days ago

(c) An establishment selling tobacco or electronic cigarettes at retail shall post and maintain in a conspicuous place, at the point of sale, the following:
(1) Signs printed in letters at least one-half (1/2) inch high, reading as follows:
(A) "The sale of tobacco or electronic cigarettes to persons under 18 years of age is forbidden by Indiana law.".
(B) "Smoking by Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, and Low Birth Weight.".
(2) A sign printed in letters and numbers at least one-half (1/2) inch high that displays a toll free phone number for assistance to callers in quitting smoking, as determined by the state department of health.

In an e-mail to an Indiana e-cig store owner, I noted that the phone number requirement is so imprecise that he could post a sign that reads: "Want to learn about how nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and Chantix are great options to quit smoking? Call the Indiana Quit Now hotline at 1-800-_____." (edit: unless the "as determined by the state's department of health" language means that the State gets to decide the specific sign that stores display)

Also, requiring e-cigarette stores to display signs advising pregnant women of the dangers of "smoking" is like an inadvertent endorsement of e-cigarette use by pregnant women.

However, these concerns are very minor, and I do urge e-cigarette consumers in Indiana to spend 2 minutes sending an e-mail to the Governor.