E-cigarette sales in jails

Reposted at http://www.tobaccodeathray.blogspot.com,

In Tennessee, an e-cigarette brand called CROSS BAR is being sold in at least one county jail to raise funds for local jails (read more, and watch a video clip here: Mid-state jail turns to electronic cigarettes to raise money), with another county sheriff proposing the idea to policymakers this week as a way to raise revenues to increase jail officers’ pay (read more here). This brand is made for inmates-no metal all plastic, and the vendor is marketing to jailers.

Given the potential financial gain to the county from the e-cigarette sales, we anticipate that raising concerns about potential legal liabilities to the county may be a strong argument, in addition to educating policymakers regarding the individual and population health risks of e-cigarettes.

Tennessee would like to know: Have any other states heard of state or county jailers selling e-cigarettes?

• Have counties that are selling e-cigarettes in jails seen any legal exposure or liability (e.g. from selling an unregulated device)? Similarly, are there any pending lawsuits by prisoners against counties that have sold e-cigarettes to prisoners?
• Please tell us about your experiences, if you’re aware of a state or county that has encountered a similar situation, or share any other resources or suggestions about how to respond.

This request is part of the Tobacco Control Network's (TCN) Help Your Peers service. If you have any information to share, or have a contact who would be able to respond, please reply to the TCN staff at tcn@sph.emory.edu by August 23, 2013.