Starting Sunday it’s going to be tougher to buy a can of Drano than a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Sunday is when the state’s Caustic/Corrosive Substance Act goes into effect imposing new purchase hurdles for many products including drain and sewer line cleaners.
The legislation is a response to two acid attacks in Chicago where the victims were severely disfigured. It was the final piece of legislation for State Rep. Susan Mendoza, D-Chicago, who now is the Chicago city clerk.
Buying a bottle of Drano will never be the same in Illinois again.
A new state law went into effect today that requires customers purchasing products containing sodium hydroxide, or lye, and other corrosive chemicals to show a legitimate photo ID and to provide their name, address and date of birth. And the store clerk will log the time and date of purchase.
While some consider the regulations intrusive, Illinois lawmakers behind the new law said regulating drain cleaners and other products is needed to protect the public from those who may use them to harm.
“The fact of the matter is there are evil people in the world who will abuse the most normal, everyday household products for sinister aims,” state Rep. Rich Morthland, R-Cordova, said.
However, those same House members seem troubled about requiring citizens to show that same “valid driver’s license or other government-issued identification showing the person’s name, date of birth, and photograph” in order to vote.
In fact, Rep. Randy Ramey’s bill (HB 3458) designed to reduce voter fraud by requiring valid identification sits dormant in House Rules.
* But is this actually the case? Will you have to register with the state if you buy a bottle of Drano at the local supermarket? Absolutely not, says one of the bill’s Republican supporters…
No, said state Rep. Chapin Rose, you shouldn’t need to show your driver’s license or sign a form to buy Drano or most other bathroom cleaning products.
There’s been some confusion about what is covered by a state law that went into effect Jan. 1, the Mahomet Republican said.
“The way this has been reported is about 90 percent not accurate,” said Rose, whose office has received a few calls about the bill (HB 2193) approved last spring. “There are going to be some high-grade, industrial-grade products available at Menards, for example, that are covered, but they’re industrial grade. Virtually anything on the Walmart shelf is not going to be covered by this.” […]
HB 2193, which passed both houses of the Legislature unanimously, limits who can possess certain caustic or corrosive acids that are regulated by the Federal Caustic Poison Act. Persons who sell or use the substances for commercial purposes are exempt from the restriction on possession. […]
But the law doesn’t apply to most everyday consumer products, said [Tanya Triche, senior counsel with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association], only those that contain the words “causes severe burns” on the label.
* And if you check the Midwest Hardware Association’s website, you’ll see a list of products that would require the registration. The list includes commercial products, like “Rooto Professional Drain Opener.” This stuff has high concentrations of sulfuric acid and other compounds that are far more harmful than household products.
