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

[Gabz]

Not only a smoke with my beer, but one after my dinner as well.

It would just be really cool if there was more than one bar in this danged county!!!!

[Gabz]

hey, You can smoke em in elevators too!

For as long as I can remember Fire Marshall regulations prohibitted smoking in elevators - I consider that to be an entirely differnt situation than smoking in a bar!!!!

[netmilsmom]

LOL!
Yes I think all those anti-smoking nazis should hold their breath forever. Save yourselves from the smoke all the rest of us produce.
I barbequed some good venison this weekend.

[concerned about politics]

I barbequed some good venison this weekend.

Oh no, no, no! No more hunting. No more guns! They require a spark! A spark contains SMOKE! This, too, must end, and end NOW!
Turn in your weapon.

[Drew68]

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.

Brilliant! And when someone lights up a Marlboro, Frank just claims he thought it was a herbal. Plausible Deniability.

Incidentally, I heard that some bars are now selling "Nicotinis" Martinis made with vodka that has been soaked in tobacco leaves thus providing a nicotine "kick" to those patrons forced to refrain from smoking.

I imagine we'll be seeing nicotine-enhanced Absolute on the shelves soon.

[CJ Wolf]

The sign in my office elevator says any "tobacco product" It also says "city ordinance" but I'm not in a city.

[Gabz]

I imagine we'll be seeing nicotine-enhanced Absolute on the shelves soon.

LOL. I think it was a bartender in Florida that came up with the Nicotinis.

[Gabz]

Interesting.

My comment regarding fire marshall regs stems from memories from back in the 60s in NYC.

The "city ordinance" thing in your out of city elevator could very well be cheapness and the building owner - those signs were already available - why reinvent the wheel!!!!

[headsonpikes]

"They are control freaks....This is insane."

Welcome to the 21st Century, in which totalitarian socialism will apparently be fine-tuned, if not quite perfected.

[CSM]

GabZ,

I have another question regarding this bar owner that is allowing the herb cigs to be smoked. What was the method used that got him into the trouble that caused this to become and issue? In other words, was a complaint filed by an anti? Did any of the complainants actually approach any of the herb cig smokers to complain or did they take the cowardly approach and complain to the health dept.? I suspect it was another cowardly action of the gnatzies expecting the government to interact on their behalf without the consideration of making their selfishness publicly known!

[concerned about politics]

Welcome to the 21st Century, in which totalitarian socialism will apparently be fine-tuned, if not quite perfected.

Yep. Liberal policies are "choice" by dictatorship. You "choose" their way. That's your "choice".

[Mears]

Thanks to your husband for remembering the herb cigs and reading the fine print.

I'm going to find the non-smoking law in my town and see how it is worded.

My town went smoke free about 8 years ago but grandfathered seven or eight restaurant-bars.Now they want to ban it entirely much to the dismay of these seven small businesses.The herb cigarette thing may do the trick.

[honeygrl]

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

I guess it would just put any BBQ restaurants out of business if they couldn't even cook their food. Of course, I don't think the smoke gnatsies care.

[honeygrl]

"It would just be really cool if there was more than one bar in this danged county!!!! "

Feel lucky to have any bar at all. In the county I lived in in Alabama, alcohol sales were illegal so there were no bars. It's still illegal there in fact. You can smoke in most of the restaurants though.

[honeygrl]

I've never heard of Nicotinis.. makes me curious.. they don't have those here though.

[lockjaw02]

Hmm, one has to wonder if they'll ban indoor charcoal grills at those grill your own steak places, after all, charcoal smoke contains many of the same carcinogens. Oops, so does wood smoke - NO MORE fireplaces allowed.

[lockjaw02]

He can't. The other inhabitants banned his presence.

[qam1]

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

Don't laugh they are already on it!

CANDLES AND INCENSE AS POTENTIAL SOURCES OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION:(PDF from the EPA)

Barbecue's fatty fumes add to haze

[Conspiracy Guy]

"If all smoke is banned the libs will have to duct tape their Azzholes which is the source of much foul smoke. Lib Azzhole smoke is the source of 4,000 poisons and 1,200 carcinogens. I have a right to be in an Azzhole smoke free environment. All Lib Azzhole smoke is second hand, therefore it is twice as dangerous." Hope no one else said this later in the thread.

[CSM]

Yep, and don't plan on any home barbeques......Oh yeah, you need to quit mowing your lawn and driving to work too! The Gnatzies have a "right" to breath clean air don't ya know!