MASON CITY, IA - In the spring of 2008 Iowa lawmakers passed the Smokefree Air Act. It prohibits smoking in almost all public places and enclosed areas within places of employment.
A year before that Minnesota passed the Clean Indoor Air Act banning smoking in many of the same places.
Studies show the laws in both states are working. Smoking numbers are down but another statistic is on the rise: smokeless tobacco products, and the people using them are getting younger and younger.
“Well there are definitely students in the high school that are using tobacco products,” said Alexandra Dunlay, a high school senior who has friends that use tobacco. “Some people start it just because it's the cool thing to do or it always starts as a cool thing.”
Dunlay says cigarettes and chew are the most popular.
“Students see other students doing it and then they decide to so in a way the advertising for adults gets the students doing it,” said Dunlay.
But new products making their way to Iowa might soon be the new tobacco of choice.
“You're not going to smell it like the smoke you're not going to see it like smoke,” said Teresa Symens, Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health.
Symens warns new candy-like tobacco products are coming and the state is doing what it can to get the word out.
“These look like candy, smell like candy, taste like candy, they advertise these fabulous flavors, it's just really a slick way of getting nicotine to new users young users and getting them hooked,” said Symens.
The Iowa Department of Public Health started a Facebook campaign “Candy vs. Tobacco” to raise awareness about smokeless products headed for Iowa shelves.
“You don't light them up there's no smoke there's really nothing obvious going on when you have this mint in your mouth that's no different than candy or gun or anything else in your mouth,” said Symens.
Aside from the ease and flavor there's also an economic benefit to smokeless.
“Cigarettes you're talking about $5 a pack. A lot of these the information we're getting they're going to run about $2.50 so economically they also appeal to young people who have less money in their pockets,” said Symens.
And those who work closely with kids are spreading the message as well.
“We're very aware of the newer products that are nicotine in nature,” said Anita Micich, superintendent at Mason City and Clear Lake Community School Districts.
Micich emphasizes all Mason City School District property is tobacco free and has been for a long time.
“Tobacco products for a long time have been marketed to younger people and yes, do young people smoke, yes, it that good for their health, no,” said Micich.
Tobacco awareness is taught in various physical education and health classes, but these new products that often have more nicotine than cigarettes or chewing tobacco are becoming harder to monitor. Micich says the district needs help.
“Parents need to be aware of the kinds of things that are being marketed that look just like they're not a problem at all yet they have nicotine or tobacco like product in them,” said Micich.
“It's educating parents, teachers, coaches, guardians people that work with kids because these things are going to look like gum candy mints in pockets purses and things like that,” said Symens.
Working to make sure this tobacco of the future doesn't jeopardize the generation of the future.
Some new smokeless tobacco products are already available. Some of the other products like the strips and sticks are currently being tested in various markets on the east and west coast before they are distributed elsewhere
Just because they're smokeless doesn't mean they're less dangerous. Symens says the FDA is still taking a look at these products to figure that out.
Iowa isn't the only state raising awareness about new smokeless tobacco.
Minnesota is preparing too.
