Herbal cigarettes at issue in Delaware ban

NewsZap ^ | July 23, 2003 | By Joe Rogalsky, Staff writer

[CSM]

DOVER - Health advocates and government officials have begun discussing what can be done about the herbal cigarettes not restricted by the state's indoor smoking ban.

The Clean Indoor Air Act forbids only the smoking of tobacco products in most indoor public places. Herbal cigarettes, such as the Ecstacy brand, contain substances such as catnip and spearmint, but have no tobacco.

A Smyrna bar recently had its fine for violating the smoking ban reversed after the owner argued his customers could have been smoking herbal cigarettes, which are sold in the establishment.

Karen Murtha, a spokeswoman for the anti-smoking IMPACT Coalition, said herbal cigarettes contain several of the same dangerous chemicals as their tobacco counterparts, including tar and carbon monoxide.

"They are not safe and not healthy," Ms. Murtha said of the herbal cigarettes.

"There is no such thing as a safe cigarette."

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who championed legislation instituting the ban, said her support for efforts to regulate the herbal cigarettes would depend on whether data indicates the items are harmful.

"I have to see if what is in those cigarettes poses a danger," Gov. Minner said.

"It is all about health."

Michael Dore, secretary of the Delaware United Smokers Association, said the herbal cigarettes actually help nicotine-addicted individuals kick their habit. Ecstacy cigarettes, he said, satisfy smokers' urges for the feel of a cigarette but do not contain nicotine.

"We have had some success with people reducing their tobacco consumption by using these herbal cigarettes," Mr. Dore said.

"We have also had people quit completely."

Rep. Deborah D. Hudson, R-Wilmington, sponsored the bill last year that created the smoking ban. She said that a bill to include herbal cigarettes in the smoking ban or otherwise regulate the herbal cigarettes could be forthcoming when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.

"We certainly will consider doing something in January," Rep. Hudson said.

"These cigarettes are harmful to the people smoking them and the people breathing in the secondhand smoke."

Frank Infante, who owns Bull Dozer's Saloon, the Smyrna bar that beat the smoking ban fine, said studies similar to the ones conducted on tobacco cigarettes should be performed before the government makes its decisions.

Mr. Infante said herbal cigarettes do not have some of the harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde, that traditional cigarettes contain. He added that steps to regulate herbal cigarettes would represent further government encroachment into individual rights.

"They need to run a five-year study before they regulate herbal cigarettes," said Mr. Infante, president of the smokers' association.

"With Minner and Hudson and the rest of them, this is all an ego trip. They are control freaks. They want to control every aspect of peoples' lives."

Mr. Dore, who said he supports smokers' rights but does not advocate smoking, said if health officials want to completely protect people from carbon monoxide, a series of drastic steps would have to be taken.

"Next we will be banning candles, incense and fires in your fireplace," Mr. Dore said. "This is insane."

Joe Rogalsky can be reached at 741-8226 or jrogalsky@newszap.com

[CSM]

GabZ - Thought you would like this one, another example that this is all about control, not health! (Plus, I know you are personally involved in this!)

[CSM]

Hey guys, happy Monday!

(I still haven't figured out how to address the original post!)

[Fee]

If it is all about health, how about establishments that promote promiscuity, gay sex and drug culture. How come the Dems do not regulate or outlaw them? More people die from STD than herbal cigarettes.

[Just another Joe]

(I still haven't figured out how to address the original post!)

You can't address the original post that I'm aware of. That post is linked to the article itself. You have to address it on the 2nd post.

More control over more aspects of peoples lives and the legislature seems to love it.
Soon it will be the People's Republik of Deleware.

Looks like you got out just in time, Gabz.

[theDentist]

"It is all about health."

It's all about the money, and the perpetuation of the Nanny-state.

[Tacis]

So, most of you "its private property" freaks can still enjoy the lovely aroma of the chopped truck tires that I burn whenever I go to a new place. If there is food, entertainment or ambience that makes a place attractive, will go to try it out. If it is smokey, I'll ask the batender or captain, "Is it OK to smoke?" If he says, "Yes," I'll light up a wad of chopped truck tires. Everyone seems to love it, although, I've never bothered to ask and just assume, like tobacco smokers, that they think the smoke and it's stink are as good as I do.

These guys should be able to burn herbal cigarettes all they want.

[Mears]

How can they ban herbal cigarettes without years of studies?

Mr Infante is rapidly becoming my hero. How did he ever think of this?

As the article states,if they ban all smoke it will affect a lot of other things,candles and barbecue among them.

[CSM]

So by this argument, you would ban candlelight dinners. How about banning cooked food, grills and barbeques emit smoke don't ya know!

If an establishment had customers that enjoyed burning tires, then I would CHOOSE not to frequent it. No one forces smoke gnatzies like you to go into any business. Of course, that will be the next step in this regulation. You will be assigned specific restaurants and pubs and be required to go there once a week. That way they will keep profitable.

[Gabz]

Thanks!!!

If they plan on banning the herbal cigarettes - they better plan on banning anything else that causes any kind of smoke in indoor areas - including candles, deep fat fryers, grills, ovens, fireplaces, etc...................

[TigersEye]

"Next we will be banning candles, incense and fires in your fireplace," Mr. Dore said. "This is insane."

Good point! What about fires in fireplaces? Wood smoke is far more toxic than tobacco smoke. Especially pine. How much wood would an average evening fire burn? 20 to 30 lb.'s? That's the weight equivalent of 30 to 40 cartons of cigarettes I'm guessing. If it's all about health what about that?

Now let's consider the smoke and fumes from deep frying one batch of donuts.

[TigersEye]

deep fat fryers,

Oh, look. You beat me to it. Very toxic stuff.

[Gabz]

I know I got out in time, JaJ - but I have no intentions of turning my back on my friends. Both Frank and Mike are good friends of mine.

I'm still working on my letter to Representative Hudson in regards to her statements about the herbal cigarettes that were in an other paper, but not on line.

I don't expect her to answer me - I'm still waiting for her promised phone call from a year ago regarding cigarette taxes - and I still lived in Delaware back then.

[Gabz]

Go crawl back under your rock.

[Just another Joe]

I know I got out in time, JaJ - but I have no intentions of turning my back on my friends. Both Frank and Mike are good friends of mine.

I didn't mean to suggest such a thing. But you know that.
Just a comment on how you can still catch a smoke with a beer on a night out since you moved.

[Just another Joe]

I'll light up a wad of chopped truck tires.

As long as you want to inhale it straight off the tire, go for it.
Bet you die a looooong time before I do if you decide to try it.

[Gabz]

Mr Infante is rapidly becoming my hero. How did he ever think of this?

Frank is a great guy and he runs a great place. When he bought the place it had a REALLY bad reputation for trouble and being a "biker bar." It could still probably be called a "biker bar" but the trouble reputation is gone and when we still lived in Delaware, my husband had absolutely no qualms about me going into the place alone - 10 years ago it was a different story, back then even my husband wouldn't go into the place, it was that bad.

As to the herbal cigarette thing - I know the danged law nearly verbatim and it was my husband that remembered the herbal cigs from the 70s and pointed out the fact the law only addresses tobacco and nothing else. Frank took it from there, as far as I know he doesn't even sell regular cigarettes in the bar anymore, only the herbal ones.

[CJ Wolf]

"As to the herbal cigarette thing - I know the danged law nearly verbatim and it was my husband that remembered the herbal cigs from the 70s and pointed out the fact the law only addresses tobacco and nothing else. Frank took it from there, as far as I know he doesn't even sell regular cigarettes in the bar anymore, only the herbal ones."

hey, You can smoke em in elevators too!

[Gabz]

No point in bothering with Tacis, we ran him off the smoking threads a long time ago because he's just a gnatzie and has nothing to contribute except the tired cliches of the antis. Now he just posts and runs.

Although good to lash out at for an occassional frustration vent, Tacis is even less of importance than the remaining stooges cinnie and minnie - and than's not saying very much!!!

[concerned about politics]

and the people breathing in the secondhand smoke."

Cooking food is not healthy. It must end. Where there's fire, there's smoke!
What about incence? The Catholic church must stop killing people - "It's for the sake of the children."
Forests need to be stripped of trees! They catch fire, and create smoke. It's not healthy. No more trees allowed.
No more BBQ's, either. What were you people thinking!
Oh, and the smoke from second hand POT smokers! That's killing thousands of teen agers daily!

Breathing must end. The carbon dioxide is dangerous around those who don't breathe. We need a law! This crap MUST end, and end RIGHT NOW!!

[concerned about politics]

"It is all about health."

But AIDs distribution is OK. We'll just over look that. That's a personal choice we'll "allow."
The rest of you smokers - get in line, strip down, and get ready for your "shower".(Are the ovens hot enough yet?)