Lawmakers Say Nicotine Candy, not so Dandy - Updated

After FourLoko, I was afraid we might have run fresh out of sinful stuff to ban or regulate. But, thankfully, I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Nicotine candy is still out there. And lawmakers are fixin' to do something about it.

From Radio Iowa:

A couple of state senators propose new restrictions on candy that contains nicotine. Senator Rob Hogg, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says the candy he's targeting has up to three times as much nicotine as in a single cigarette.

“Iowans need to know that these sorts of products are addictive, they're loaded with nicotine and we've really got to make an extra effort to safeguard our children from them because this is an accident waiting to happen,” Hogg says.

The danger is for kids under the age of six, who can be poisoned by the nicotine in the candy. Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says the tobacco industry has created these products to try to get kids hooked on nicotine.

Apparently, this small, sugary scourge is currently sold in groceries and convenience stores from behind the counter to Iowans 18 and older, like the white smoking sticks they call cigarettes. Hogg and Quirmbach want to confine their sale to establishments that sell tobacco products only.

And hey, other states are doing it. We should try it.

I honestly had never heard of this stuff until today. Guess I lead a pretty sheltered existence.

And I'm not about to start a Save the Orbs page on Facebook or anything, but the kids-could-be-harmed argument seems a bit flimsy. Nicotine gum is readily available, but I haven't heard similar talk of its dangers to tots. Maybe someone can explain the difference.

Grocery and convenience stores are full of stuff that would harm children if they ingested it. Like booze or bleach or trans fats.

I'm also uncertain if adults who use this product properly are harmed. I thought we wanted people to stop smoking and chewing tobacky, because those products cause deadly illnesses. Smoking also has been targeted for its second-hand effects on non-smokers.

So the candy would seem to be better. Maybe I'm missing something.

The candy could entice kids to smoke, I suppose. But they might also be enticed by the fact that real cigarettes are legal and easily available. They're also still a nice revenue source for state government.

But lawmakers aren't happy unless they've got something to ban. I should just be glad it's not something I enjoy, like fried chees balls or blogging nonsense. Phew.

Here's the press release:

Senators seek to ban sale of nicotine products aimed at children; support Iowa's continuing effort to stop youth tobacco useDES MOINES - A group of Iowa state senators today announced legislation to limit access to new “dissolvable” nicotine products that look like candy, are flavored like candy, and can be easily used by kids without parental knowledge or permission.“Iowans need to know that these products are addictive and loaded with nicotine, and they need to be kept away from children,” said Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids. “At the same time, these products show that the State of Iowa needs to redouble our efforts against youth tobacco use.”At a Statehouse news conference, Hogg presented a collection of Tic-Tacs, mints, fruit roll-ups, and candy intermingled with dissolvable nicotine products which are similar in appearance. The new products, which are now available in Iowa stores, come in flavors that appeal to children such as strawberry, banana and grape. Eating multiple tablets at one time, as if they actually were candy, could lead to vomiting or seizures or even death.Between 2006 and 2008, there were more than 13,000 reports to the nation's poison control centers about the ingestion of tobacco products by children under 6, according to a study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics in 2010.“These new products increase that danger,” Hogg said. “This legislation will help by limiting the sales of dissolvable tobacco to tobacco stores where children are not allowed to enter.”Hogg said that many in the Senate are opposed to the House Republican proposal to eliminate funding for the Just Eliminate Lies program (JEL) and other tobacco prevention and cessation efforts like Quitline Iowa which helps smokers quit their addiction.“We need to redouble our efforts to eliminate youth tobacco use, not eliminate the programs that have worked to reduce tobacco use,” Hogg said. “Between 2002 and 2004, when we funded JEL at a much higher level, youth smoking rates in Iowa fell by 26%. But since the JEL budget was cut by two-thirds in the 2003 legislative session, youth tobacco rates have stayed around 20%. We need to restore funding for JEL and other prevention programs to reach our goal of tobacco free kids.”Cathy Callaway of the American Cancer Society supports the new legislation and urged the senators to also fight hard to continue funding Quitline, which helps smokers quit.“At the American Cancer Society, our number one goal is to fight cancer,” Callaway said. “We know one of the best ways to fight cancer and protect Iowa families from losing a father, a mother or other loved ones is to make it easier for smokers to quit. That's what Quitline does. It saves lives and reduces health care costs for everyone.”-end-

DES MOINES - A group of Iowa state senators today announced legislation to limit access to new “dissolvable” nicotine products that look like candy, are flavored like candy, and can be easily used by kids without parental knowledge or permission.

“Iowans need to know that these products are addictive and loaded with nicotine, and they need to be kept away from children,” said Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids. “At the same time, these products show that the State of Iowa needs to redouble our efforts against youth tobacco use.”

At a Statehouse news conference, Hogg presented a collection of Tic-Tacs, mints, fruit roll-ups, and candy intermingled with dissolvable nicotine products which are similar in appearance. The new products, which are now available in Iowa stores, come in flavors that appeal to children such as strawberry, banana and grape. Eating multiple tablets at one time, as if they actually were candy, could lead to vomiting or seizures or even death.

Between 2006 and 2008, there were more than 13,000 reports to the nation's poison control centers about the ingestion of tobacco products by children under 6, according to a study that appeared in the journal Pediatrics in 2010.

“These new products increase that danger,” Hogg said. “This legislation will help by limiting the sales of dissolvable tobacco to tobacco stores where children are not allowed to enter.”

Hogg said that many in the Senate are opposed to the House Republican proposal to eliminate funding for the Just Eliminate Lies program (JEL) and other tobacco prevention and cessation efforts like Quitline Iowa which helps smokers quit their addiction.

“We need to redouble our efforts to eliminate youth tobacco use, not eliminate the programs that have worked to reduce tobacco use,” Hogg said. “Between 2002 and 2004, when we funded JEL at a much higher level, youth smoking rates in Iowa fell by 26%. But since the JEL budget was cut by two-thirds in the 2003 legislative session, youth tobacco rates have stayed around 20%. We need to restore funding for JEL and other prevention programs to reach our goal of tobacco free kids.”

Cathy Callaway of the American Cancer Society supports the new legislation and urged the senators to also fight hard to continue funding Quitline, which helps smokers quit.

“At the American Cancer Society, our number one goal is to fight cancer,” Callaway said. “We know one of the best ways to fight cancer and protect Iowa families from losing a father, a mother or other loved ones is to make it easier for smokers to quit. That's what Quitline does. It saves lives and reduces health care costs for everyone.”

-end-

UPDATE --

The Register reports that a tobacco industry lobbyist says nico-candy isn't being sold in Iowa yet. Probably why I'd never heard of it.