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