Ohio House Passes Legislation to Improve Child-Resistant Protections on Liquid Nicotine

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.