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After a federal judge has all but stated that the ever popular electronic cigarette should and likely would be classified as a tobacco product, and specifically, a reduced harm tobacco products, a state senator has sponsored a bill that may produce a “quit or die” law that is likely to stop millions from switching to other alternatives other than tobacco. This appears to be a legal move to protect the big drug companies interest.
Illinois Senator Terry Link has introduced a bill that reads “Amends the Tobacco Accessories and Smoking Herbs Control Act. Provides that a product containing or delivering nicotine intended or expected for human consumption, or any part of such a product, that is not a tobacco product shall not be distributed or sold in the State or to consumers in the State unless it has been approved or otherwise certified for legal sale by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a tobacco use cessation, harm reduction, or modified-risk product, or for other medical purposes, and is being marketed and sold solely for that approved purpose. Establishes penalties for violations.”
But the bill goes even further to attempt to give smokers no other options outside of big pharmaceutical products as alternatives, therefore creating a monopoly for them with products that only help less than 5% of smokers quit and leaving no other options for smokers. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Provides that "tobacco product" is defined under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act rather than Illinois law. Deletes reference to "modified-risk product".
This would effectively ban the electronic cigarette. But what is not stated or made known to the public is that Illinois Senator Terry Link has accepted thousands and thousands of dollars from a long list of major pharmaceutical companies, one of which had a an industry report titled “E-Cigarettes Will Revolutionize The Face Of Tobacco Smoking And Could Pose A Threat To the Smoking Cessation Market”.
With recent reports of 1 in 40 smokers making the switch to the electronic cigarette, it appears that pharmaceutical companies are calling in favors from their campaign contributions to stop the profit loses at smokers expense. Sources to all information contained in this release can be seen at the e cigarette news blog.
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