Iowa to make access to safer products more difficult

[Vocalek]

Senate File 281 in Iowa has already passed the Health Committee and been put on the calendar.

http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/linc/84/external/SF281_Introduced.pdf


2 7 EXPLANATION
2 8 This bill provides restrictions on the sale of dissolvable
2 9 products in the state in new Code section 453A.57. The bill
2 10 defines "dissolvable products" as any product containing
2 11 tobacco or nicotine that is intended or expected to be used
2 12 for oral consumption that does not consist of loose tobacco
2 13 and is offered in discrete single=dose or single=use lozenges,
2 14 pills, capsules, strips, sticks, orbs, or other single=dose
2 15 or single=use units, or in packages of such single=dose or
2 16 single=use units. "Dissolvable product" does not include any
2 17 tobacco or nicotine product that has been approved by the
2 18 United States food and drug administration for sale as, and is
2 19 marketed and sold solely as, a tobacco cessation product, a
2 20 tobacco dependence product, a harm reduction product, or for
2 21 any other medical or pharmacological purpose.
2 22 The bill specifies that dissolvable products shall not be
2 23 offered for sale or sold at retail in this state unless the
2 24 retail location meets three conditions: the retail location
2 25 does not allow individuals under 18 years of age to enter the
2 26 location; 99 percent or more of the gross sales of the retail
2 27 location is based on the sale of tobacco or nicotine products;
2 28 and the retail location meets the first two requirements prior
2 29 to January 1, 2011.

Bill Title: SENATE FILE 281 (formerly SF 154), a bill for an act relating to dissolvable products and providing penalties.
Recommendation: APPROVED COMMITTEE BILL.
Final Vote: Ayes, 8: Ragan, Wilhelm, Bolkcom, Dotzler, Dvorsky, Hatch, Jochum, and Quirmbach. Nays, 5: Seymour, Bacon, Boettger, Johnson, and Whitver. Absent, none.
Fiscal Note: NOT REQUIRED UNDER JOINT RULE 17.

Senate File 281, by committee on Human Resources, a bill for an act relating to dissolvable products and providing penalties.
Read first time under Rule 28 and placed on calendar.


Bottom Line: If an adult smoker wants to use a safer product, he or she will be forced to go to a tobacco shop to buy it.

Call me crazy, but I can see some overzealous Health Department employee interpreting the above to include the nicotine products that this forum was started to discuss.

This would not bother those of us buying the vast majority of our products via the internet, but it would slow down the conversion of existing smokers to safer products of all types.

This is most interesting: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Co...st&Service=DspReport&ga=84&type=b&hbill=SF281

 

[Placebo Effect]

From my reading it would seem e-liquid bottles would be a-okay, but cartridges could fall under the definition of a 'discrete ... capsule.'

Do we have any Iowans?

 

[Traver]

Before I comment is there any insight as to why Glaxo-Smith Kline would support this bill. I really don't know anything about any of these other product.

 

[MoonRose]

Glaxo-Smith Kline is a pharmaceutical company and these smokeless tobacco products are in direct compitition with their smoking cessation products of gums and lozengers.

 

[Vocalek]

Nicorette Lozenge - Nicotine Lozenge | To Help You Quit

NEW! Nicorette mini Lozenge | Nicotine Lozenges To Help You Quit Smoking

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...because-they-better-than-commit-lozenges.html

 

[Traver]

I posted my comment. Thanks for the info. I'll read the articles as soon as I get a chance.

 

[ScottB]

A couple months ago we were applauding Iowa for "legalizing" indoor vaping...

Is this part of Plan B...? Or just straightforward BP muscle tactics to protect their NRT...?

Conspiracy theorists rejoice!

Sorry... Back to the subject at hand...

 

[D103]

If I am reading this Bill correctly I do not think it would apply to either cartridges or cartomizers since neither of those is a "single=dose unit". All cartridges and cartomizers are the equivalent of more than one cigarette - the total/actual equivalency is debatable as we have all seen through numerous ECF discussions, but certainly they are not "single=dose units" by any stretch of the imagination. Even the "disposable e-cigs" would not fall under this provision since they too are equivalent to more than one cigarette and cannot, in any reasonable way, be construed as a "single=dose unit".

 

[Vocalek]

You never know what some overzealous Tobacco Control Phreak is going to pull in creative interpretation of laws. But on the surface, the biggest threat of this bill is that it will take the products that are the safest alternatives to smoking and make them difficult to get to. On the other hand, the most dangerous products will be freely available in grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, etc. Anyone want to guess what that will do to the relative percentages of kids taking up smoking versus kids who taking up smokeless products? Or what it will do to kids who started out with smokeless but now find it difficult to buy? These folks will turn the "kids graduate to smoking" into a self-fulfilling prophesy.

 

[Newbz]

But the truth of the matter is that it's already effectively that way.
You will not find disposable e-cigs, lozenges, etc... at the gas stations or grocery stores. They just don't market or sell them.
When I first started vaping, I had to call all over the place to find a tobacco shop that had even heard of e-cigs. To the best of my knowledge, there are 3 e-cig retailers in Des Moines. There is a mall kiosk, there's an upscale tobbaco shop, and there's a drive thru booze and tobacco shop. No one else is carrying the stuff. I suspect a smiliar story in Iowa City, Waterloo, etc...

ETA: On second thought, I think you can purchase Commit at the grocery store, but certainly not in single use packets.

 

[Vocalek]

The products they want to make you go to the tobacco shops to get don't come in a single use packet. The packaging for all these products is designed to be very child-proof. The packaging for Ariva reminds me of a box that contains allergy medicine. The box contains blister-strips. It is complicated and difficult to extract an orb from the strips. Our own Tropical Bob has recorded a video that shows you how difficult it is to extract some of the other dissolvable tobacco products from their packages.
YouTube - Dissolvable tobacco: Camel vs. Stonewall

I bought a package of Ariva at a local convenience store here in Virginia. I asked for them at a tobacco shop and they did not know what I was talking about.

On the other hand the Nicorette (Commit) lozenges are available in a plastic tube that you can open with one hand. Here are some descriptions of the lozenges from the Nicorette Web site:

And because we know taste buds need satisfying too, Nicorette Lozenge comes in some very tasty flavors like Original, Mint and Cherry.

Nicorette Lozenge - Nicotine Lozenge | To Help You Quit

Nicorette® mini Lozenge offers a more portable and flexible way to quit smoking. These breath mint-sized lozenges dissolve up to 3x faster*, and help you to fight cravings at any time of the day. And their pocket-sized packaging (about the size of a lighter) allows you to battle your smoking triggers wherever you are.

NEW! Nicorette mini Lozenge | Nicotine Lozenges To Help You Quit Smoking

 

[Vocalek]

CASAA sent an email message to all of the Iowa State Senators urging them to vote against the bill.

I received this response:

Dear Elaine,

Thank you so much for your e-mail. You raised some very valid points. Our legislative process, both in theory and in practice, only works best when legislators and constituents are in direct contact. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future if you have any questions or concerns.


Best,

Swati

Swati Dandekar
Iowa State Senator
District 18

(515) 281-7712

 

[Vocalek]

But the truth of the matter is that it's already effectively that way.
You will not find disposable e-cigs, lozenges, etc... at the gas stations or grocery stores. They just don't market or sell them.
When I first started vaping, I had to call all over the place to find a tobacco shop that had even heard of e-cigs. To the best of my knowledge, there are 3 e-cig retailers in Des Moines. There is a mall kiosk, there's an upscale tobbaco shop, and there's a drive thru booze and tobacco shop. No one else is carrying the stuff. I suspect a smiliar story in Iowa City, Waterloo, etc...

ETA: On second thought, I think you can purchase Commit at the grocery store, but certainly not in single use packets.

I think this is the first we have heard from an actual resident of Iowa. May I suggest that you write to your legislators, asking them to vote against the bill. Perhaps e-cigarettes and dissolvable tobacco products are not easy to get now. They will never have a chance of becoming easy to get if it becomes against the law to sell them anywhere but a tobacco shop.

Here is a link to the Call to Action page for Iowa on the CASAA web site.

CASAA.org

 

[drew999999]

But the truth of the matter is that it's already effectively that way.
You will not find disposable e-cigs, lozenges, etc... at the gas stations or grocery stores. They just don't market or sell them.
When I first started vaping, I had to call all over the place to find a tobacco shop that had even heard of e-cigs. To the best of my knowledge, there are 3 e-cig retailers in Des Moines. There is a mall kiosk, there's an upscale tobbaco shop, and there's a drive thru booze and tobacco shop. No one else is carrying the stuff. I suspect a smiliar story in Iowa City, Waterloo, etc...

ETA: On second thought, I think you can purchase Commit at the grocery store, but certainly not in single use packets.

I didn't think anyone had ecigs locally in Des Moines. Wondering if the drive through booze shop is the one that I'm thinking of? Not sure which tobacco shop would be carrying anything....

 

[Placebo Effect]

The bill is dead -- Tobacco bill dead - The Daily Iowan

 

[Vocalek]

Ideal new packaging for dissolvable tobacco cigarettes. Since Nicorrette Minis are acceptable and not accused of "candy", the tobacco products could all use the same color and shape packaging.

With this logo:

 

[Newbz]

I didn't think anyone had ecigs locally in Des Moines. Wondering if the drive through booze shop is the one that I'm thinking of? Not sure which tobacco shop would be carrying anything....

The Smoke Shop on SE 14th in DSM carries Smokebot, No. 7 & and number of Gammuchi disposables. David's Briar Shoppe at MH Mall carries NJoy. The kiosk at Jordan Creek has some $150 kit, not sure of the brand.

I see a lot of Iowans on this forum, but I sure ain't seeing any vapers out and about. I use my Riva in public all of the time, but I have never run into anyone else using a PV.

 

[Placebo Effect]

The Smoke Shop on SE 14th in DSM carries Smokebot, No. 7 & and number of Gammuchi disposables. David's Briar Shoppe at MH Mall carries NJoy. The kiosk at Jordan Creek has some $150 kit, not sure of the brand.

I see a lot of Iowans on this forum, but I sure ain't seeing any vapers out and about. I use my Riva in public all of the time, but I have never run into anyone else using a PV.

Are you anywhere near Linn County? CASAA needs harm reduction advocates in that state to stand up against a county-wide ban on the sale of dissolveable tobacco. If Linn County legislators can institute a ban on safer tobacco products, then e-cigs will almost certainly be targeted next.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...empting-ban-dissolvable-tobacco-products.html

 

[Newbz]

Are you anywhere near Linn County? CASAA needs harm reduction advocates in that state to stand up against a county-wide ban on the sale of dissolveable tobacco. If Linn County legislators can institute a ban on safer tobacco products, then e-cigs will almost certainly be targeted next.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...empting-ban-dissolvable-tobacco-products.html

Nope, I'm hours from there. I have seen members on ECF that are from the Cedar Rapids area, although I can not remember their monikers. Again, I've never actually seen anyone in this state other than myself use a PV in public. I just don't think it's widely known about or marketed.