ALBANY, NY – Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature’s final budget includes a package aimed at reducing tobacco use, including flavored e-cigarettes. The final budget language:
New York State Senior Government Relations Director Julie Hart released the following statement:
“While it is good to see New York taking steps to stop tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, clearly Big Tobacco had some sway in the budget process and weakened the final proposal.
“Flavored tobacco products are used by the tobacco industry to lure kids into a lifetime of addiction. Big Tobacco uses menthol flavored tobacco products to shamelessly target communities of color. Big Tobacco also targets LGBTQ communities and low socioeconomic neighborhoods with flavored tobacco products of all varieties. It is crucial that further action is taken to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes.
“E-cigarettes are creating a new generation of tobacco addicts. We know flavors entice kids to start. If and when a flavored e-cigarette product receives a marketing order from FDA, New York, in addition to the FDA, must monitor the effects of having that product on the market to ensure it is not continuing to fuel the youth epidemic of e-cigarette use.
“Given that New York hasn’t raised cigarette taxes in 10 years, we’re disappointed the final budget doesn’t include a cigarette tax increase.
“We thank Governor Cuomo and our legislative champions including Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Members Linda Rosenthal and Rodneyse Bichotte for standing up to Big Tobacco. We are committed to continuing to work with them to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products.”
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