It is time for New York City to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
It is time for New York City to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Our city is facing a resurgence of tobacco addiction that requires the City Council’s dedicated focus. We must act now to ensure that all flavors are restricted, including menthol, mint and wintergreen and that all tobacco products including e-cigarettes are included.
TAKE ACTION HERE
It is time for the New York City Council to pass the flavored tobacco package of legislation. The City Council needs to hear from you. Here are three simple steps you can take:
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Send an email today to Speaker Johnson by clicking here
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Sign the petition to the City Council by clicking here
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To endorse the campaign (organizations only) click here
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Send a Tweet to your Councilmember by clicking here
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Sign the medical professional letter to Speaker Johnson
BACKGROUND
Despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use in recent years, nearly a million New Yorkers continue to smoke, and tobacco use remains the number one cause of preventable death in New York City.
According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, more than one out of every six city high school students reported using an e-cigarette at least once in the past month. And nearly two-thirds of NYC kids who smoke now report that they started with menthol or another flavored tobacco. Flavored tobacco products, including all flavored e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored cigarettes, are hooking our kids into a lifetime of addiction.
The tobacco industry has a long history of using flavors to mask the harshness of their products, making them more appealing to new users and particularly our youth. There is no health reason that tobacco should have a fruity, sweet or alluring taste. Most concerning, menthol flavoring can cool the lining of the throat, resulting in more smoking initiation and stronger addiction. It is imperative that the sale of all flavors of tobacco products – including mint, menthol, and wintergreen – be restricted in our city.
The exemption of mint, menthol and wintergreen flavors in current city law has directly resulted in significant health inequity, causing a greater tobacco addiction among communities of color. In New York City, menthol tobacco is consumed by 85% of Black adults who smoke and 64% of Latino adults who smoke. This disparity has resulted after generations of predatory discrimination by tobacco companies as they marketed their menthol products to these communities, compounded by the lack of action by local, state and federal governments.
THE SOLUTION
The New York City Council has introduced two pieces of legislation--Int 1345-2019 and Int 1362-2019 that will restrict the sale of flavored tobacco. By passing this package of bills, we can reduce the use of tobacco products, especially among youth, to prevent thousands of lives from being lost in the future and prevent a generation of youth from starting a lifetime addiction.
TO LEARN MORE AND GET INVOLVED
Contact [email protected].
