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House Passes
Legislation to Improve Child-Resistant Protections on Liquid Nicotine
COLUMBUS— The Ohio House of Representatives today passed House Bill
168, sponsored by State Representative Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City). HB
168 seeks to prohibit the retail sale of any liquid nicotine container
to be used with an electronic cigarette unless the container satisfies
certain child-resistant standards, and establishes a civil penalty of
up to $1,000 for each violation.
“This is good public health policy to protect the children of Ohio,”
said Huffman.
The legislation aims to ensure that the liquid nicotine bottle caps are
designed so a child five years of age and younger is not able to open
the packaging. The bill also states that the Ohio Department of Health
will develop guidelines and adopt rules establishing the standards of
child-resistant packaging.
A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study showed
an increase in electronic cigarette-related calls to poison centers,
showing a jump from 0.3 percent in 2010 to 41.7 percent in 2014 when
compared to calls regarding conventional cigarettes. Liquid nicotine
poisonings can occur from ingesting, inhaling or absorbing the
substance. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
electronic cigarettes have yet to be fully studied, and as of now,
consumers do not know the risks electronic cigarettes place on them
over a period of time.
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