Iowa House wants to ban tobacco "freebies"

The Iowa House has voted to prohibit “freebies” from tobacco companies. The proposal bars the give-away of cigarettes and cigars. Representative Frank Chiodo, a democrat from Des Moines, says tobacco companies should not be allowed to give-away free samples of their products. He says it’s no different than a drug dealer giving out vials of crack to get someone hooked.Chiodo says the ban also applies to all the apparel cigarette companies use to market their products, things like t-shirts and hats. He says he has a problem when kids identify more with Joe Camel than Mickey Mouse.The proposal faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which has snuffed out the idea before. The ban on tobacco give-aways is attached to the bill which spells out the state’s nearly 10-million dollar campaign to keep teens from smoking.