Health Organizations Oppose Amendment in State Budget that Puts the Health of Pennsylvanians at Risk

HARRISBURG, PA – July 3, 2018 – The FY 2019 Pennsylvania State budget, just passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Wolf, contains an amendment that prohibits Philadelphia from enacting additional regulations on tobacco sales. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids released the following statement in response:

“Showing how far they will go to put tobacco industry profits before the public’s health, Big Tobacco continues to work behind closed doors to undermine potential tobacco prevention efforts in Pennsylvania. 

“A special-interest tobacco industry amendment, included in a must-pass budget bill, will strip Philadelphia of its power to pass additional regulations on tobacco sales. Just as the Philadelphia City Council and Philadelphia Health Department were gearing up to promote a new ordinance to restrict the sale of flavored-tobacco products aimed to lure kids into a lifetime of addiction, this provision puts a stop to this progress.

“Research has found that young people are increasingly caught in Big Tobacco’s “flavor trap.” A government study found that 81 percent of kids who ever used tobacco products started with a flavored product. With flavors like berry blast, vanilla and mint, it’s obvious who Big Tobacco is targeting.

“While we are pleased to see a spirit of cooperation between the legislature and the governor to pass an on-time and agreed-to budget, the consequences of the new law are dreadful, and we are disheartened to see Pennsylvania go down this path.

“As we have seen across the country, so-called preemption laws have a chilling effect on a community’s ability to improve health and cultivate a place that reflects the values of its residents. We are committed to working cooperatively with state and local elected leaders to make it known this was a bad deal and shed light on the true impact of this law on the health of our children and communities.”