WASHINGTON, DC - On Tuesday, May 24, the DC Council passed the FY23 Budget with funding for the Flavored Tobacco Product Prohibition Amendment Act of 2021 ending the sale of flavored tobacco products in the District of Columbia. Funding this law will protect DC kids from Big Tobacco, advance health equity and save lives.
Today’s vote follows historic action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposing new rules to end the sale of menthol flavored cigarettes and all flavored cigars. Local elected officials and public health and social justice organizations praised this step by the FDA.
The funding of the DC law is a result of a multi-year effort thanks to the leadership of Mayor Muriel Bowser, Attorney General Karl Racine, the members of the DC Council with the tireless efforts of Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmembers Charles Allen, Mary Cheh, and Vincent Gray in addition to the involvement of more than 70 organizations including DC Academy of Family Physicians, DC Federation of Civic Associations, Medical Society of DC and NAACP-DC.
Flavors Hook Kids DC is a coalition of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, NAACP - DC Chapter and more than 70 public health and community organizations focused on protecting DC youth from Big Tobacco by ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Learn more about the Flavors Hook Kids DC campaign at flavorshookkidsdc.org.