Lawmakers seek regulation of e-cigarette liquids – chicagotribune.com
Amid mounting safety concerns about accidental nicotine exposure, state representatives have decided they aren’t going to wait for federal regulation of electronic cigarettes to push childproofing legislation forward.
About five months ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a proposal for regulating the devices to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, but it is still under review.
An Illinois regulatory proposal, which the House approved 105 10 this month and now moves to the Senate, would enable the Illinois Department of Public Health to set specifications for the packaging of e cigarette liquid, or e liquid, refills.
E cigarettes have raised concerns recently after national statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an increase in the number of calls to poison centers related to the devices. The CDC found that calls to poison centers went from one in September 2010 to 215 this past February. Calls related to regular cigarettes fluctuated, ranging from 301 to 512 per month.
About half of the calls related to e cigarettes from September 2010 to this February involved children age 5 and younger. About 42 percent of the calls involved people age 20 and older.
“The rise in e cigarette popularity doesn’t explain why e cigarettes account for 41.7 percent of combined cigarette and e cigarette (calls last February) when e cigarettes account for only 1 to 2 percent of the market,” said Tim McAfee, director of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health.
The Illinois Poison Center experienced similar trends in e cigarette related calls. After receiving 22 calls in 2012 and 23 in 2013, the center this year had already received 15 calls by March 31, operations director Carol DesLauriers said. At that rate, DesLauriers expects to receive 60 calls this year.
“Right now, it’s just numbers,” she said. “But I think it does tell us that we need to be vigilant about preventing them from going up further if possible.”
E liquids, which consist of varying concentrations of nicotine in liquid form mixed with flavoring and other chemicals, can cause acute nicotine toxicity if ingested, inhaled or absorbed into the skin or eyes. Effects of exposure most commonly reported by callers included vomiting, nausea and eye irritation.
Health officials are also concerned about e liquids that come in fruit and candy flavors such as strawberry, chocolate and bubble gum that may appeal to children.
State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D Evanston, who proposed the bill, said lawmakers have been “waiting for (FDA regulations) to happen for a while now” and noted that the European Union passed regulations, including childproofing requirements, on Feb. 26. If the FDA does come up with regulations, they will supersede state regulation, she said.
“No child should be put in danger because of an e cigarette,” Gabel said.
Many manufacturers and retailers already sell e liquid refills in what they consider to be childproof containers. Sealed, prefilled or disposable cartridges would be exempt from regulations.
John Przybylo, owner of Vapor Haus in Des Plaines, sells e cigarette products and manufactures his own e liquids, which have childproof caps and are sealed with shrink wrap.
“We’re doing everything we can on our own to be the best we can and safe,” Przybylo said.
The bill is aimed at adding protections to eyedropper bottles with screw caps that allow a user to fill empty cartridges. Gabel said these pose the highest risk for accidental exposure to children because the liquid is accessible.
Business owners are open to regulation, but many would prefer it come from the federal level.
“What we’re looking at is a patchwork or a potential for a patchwork of different product standards … across the different states, which will be a huge financial burden,” said Cynthia Cabrera, executive director of the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, which represents 84 companies. “So rather than that, why not work together to establish requirements that everyone can agree on?”
Having a voice is a main concern for Victoria Vasconcellos, owner of Cignot, an e cigarette retail shop with locations in Elmhurst, Hickory Hills, Lisle and Wauconda. “Those people are bureaucrats that are not elected they don’t have to speak to their constituents,” Vasconcellos said.
Opponents of the bill say people are attaching too much importance to reports such as the CDC’s, which they say are being taken out of context.
“You gotta put this in perspective when they say it’s an alarming statistic,” Vasconcellos said. “There were 20,000 calls to poison control about toothpaste (in 2012) why aren’t we freaking out about that?”
Another major concern business owners have is that, if passed, the bill might be interpreted in such a way that would cause a temporary ban on the sales of e liquids while the regulations are written.
Gabel and chief Senate sponsor John Mulroe, D Chicago, said they don’t expect that will be the case.
“I made it clear in my discussion of the bill … that that was not the intent,” she said. “That is an incorrect, hysterical reading.”
Mulroe said he does not expect the Senate to get to the bill until the end of this month. He said he had not heard any negative feedback about the bill and he expected it to pass.
tgoldenstein
Marlboro (cigarette) – wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marlboro cigarettes 13 and snus 13 come in the following varieties of flavor and packaging
USA cigarette varieties edit
- Marlboro box, 25’s box, and soft pack
- Marlboro 100’s box and soft pack
- Marlboro Eighty Threes box
- Marlboro 72’s box
- Marlboro Red Lallel box and soft pack
- Marlboro Red Label 100’s box and soft pack
- Marlboro Gold Pack box, 25’s box, and soft pack
- Marlboro Gold Pack 100’s box and soft pack
- Marlboro Gold Pack 72’s box
- Marlboro Silver Pack box
- Marlboro Silver Pack 100’s box
- Marlboro Silver Pack 72’s box
- Marlboro Blend No. 27 box and soft pack
- Marlboro Blend No. 27 100’s box
- Marlboro Virginia Blend box
- Marlboro Virginia Blend 100’s box
- Marlboro Southern Cut biz
- Marlboro Black box
- Marlboro Black 100’s box
- Marlboro Edge box
- Marlboro Special Blend Red box
- Marlboro Special Blend Red 100’s box
- Marlboro Special Blend Gold box
- Marlboro Special Blend Gold 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol box and soft pack
- Marlboro Menthol 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Green Pack 72’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack box
- Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack 72’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Rich Blue box
- Marlboro Menthol Rich Blue 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Gold Pack box and soft pack
- Marlboro Menthol Gold Pack 100’s box and soft pack
- Marlboro Menthol Silver Pack box
- Marlboro Menthol Silver Pack 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Blend No. 54 box
- Marlboro Menthol Blend No. 54 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Smooth box
- Marlboro Menthol Smooth 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Skyline box
- Marlboro Menthol Skyline 100’s box
- Marlboro Menthol Black box
- Marlboro Menthol Black 100’s box
- Marlboro NXT box
UK varieties edit
- Marlboro Red
- Marlboro Gold Original
- Marlboro Gold Original 100’s (Superkings)
- Marlboro Gold Touch
- Marlboro Silver
- Marlboro Bright Leaf
- Marlboro Bright Leaf Platinum
- Marlboro White Menthol
- Marlboro Ice Blast
International cigarette varieties edit
- Marlboro Gold Touch
- Marlboro Flavor Code
- Marlboro Premium Black
USA snus varieties edit
- Marlboro Snus Original (discontinued in California, New York, Texas, Utah, Nevada, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Kentucky)
- Marlboro Snus Mint
Marlboro in Canada edit
Philip Morris sold the Canadian rights to the “Marlboro” name to Imperial Tobacco Canada in 1932. After the brand’s successful American relaunch in the 1950s which later became well known to Canadians through exposure to the brand’s international sponsorships and advertising Philip Morris tried several legal manoeuvres in attempting to reacquire the Canadian rights, to no avail. Imperial Tobacco continues to sell a line of cigarettes under the Marlboro name in Canada, albeit with very different packaging from that of the Philip Morris product. Philip Morris retains the rights to the “rooftop” trade dress and other elements of Marlboro’s branding which were developed after the 1932 sale, and has historically used that trade dress in Canada in combination with the names “Matador” or occasionally “Maverick” for a line of Virginia blend cigarettes. 14 15
In 2006, Philip Morris International’s Canadian affiliate Rothmans, Benson & Hedges introduced a new product with the “rooftop” trade dress, and marked as being the “World Famous Imported Blend”, but not bearing any actual brand name. This led to a legal challenge from Imperial, contending that the new packaging created customer confusion by merely suggesting the Marlboro brand, thereby infringing on Imperial’s Canadian trademark rights. Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Imperial in June 2012. The judgment noted that Canadian regulations which (in most cases) prohibit the public display of tobacco products at retail locations i.e., customers must ask for a brand by name exacerbated the situation, as there were now two products that customers might be referring to when asking for “Marlboro”. 14 Though PMI is expected to appeal, shortly after the ruling it began using the brand name “Rooftop” on packaging for the previously unbranded cigarettes. 15
See also edit
- Marlboro Friday
References edit