Contra Costa County Approves Ending Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products Within 1,000 Feet of Schools and Parks

Martinez, CA – Scores of residents and cancer advocates testified today in favor of an amendment to the Contra Costa County tobacco-control ordinance that will end the sale of flavored tobacco products in unincorporated areas of the county within 1,000 feet of youth-sensitive places such as parks and schools.  The restriction includes the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, cigarillos, snuff and menthol cigarettes.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) applauds the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors today for its public health leadership, but feels the preliminary approval of the flavored tobacco restriction does not go far enough. Upon final approval, expected next week, the restriction would go into effect in 30 days.

“Deep down, we all know buffer zones are not as effective at restricting youth access as an outright ban of flavored tobacco products, which is what we preferred.  However, this is certainly a step in the right direction,” said ACS CAN State Lead Ambassador and San Ramon resident Jose Ramos who testified today.  “There is no acceptable level of death when it comes to tobacco and, until flavored tobacco is outlawed, flavorings will continue to be used by the tobacco industry to bait the next generation of tobacco users into a lifetime addiction.”

Flavored tobacco products – including menthol cigarettes and sweet-flavored e-cigarettes and cigars – are widely considered “starter” products that appeal to youth. According to a government study, 81 percent of kids who have ever tried tobacco started with a flavored product and 80 percent of current youth tobacco users had used a flavored tobacco product in the past month.

“Tobacco use is responsible for one-third of cancer deaths in this country,” said ACS CAN California Grassroots Director Lori Bremner.  “It’s long past time we stop tobacco companies from targeting kids and other vulnerable populations by using flavored products to make it easier for people to start and stay addicted to using tobacco products.”

Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products is an issue of both health and social justice.  Young menthol cigarette smokers are disproportionately African American, Asian American, LGBT and from low-income communities already significantly impacted by tobacco-related disease. The tobacco industry has long targeted these communities with marketing for menthol cigarettes through sponsorship of community and music events, targeted magazine advertising, youthful imagery and disproportionate marketing in targeted neighborhoods. The destructive impact on the African-American community is clear as African Americans smoke menthol cigarettes at very high rates and quit smoking at lower rates, and African-American men have notably high death rates from lung cancer.

The anesthetizing effect of menthol makes the smoke easier to inhale and masks the harsh taste of tobacco, making it more appealing to new users. A report by the Food and Drug Administration found that those who begin smoking menthol cigarettes are more likely to progress to a regular smoking habit and have a higher level of nicotine dependence than those who begin with non-menthol cigarettes. Meanwhile, young smokers are also more likely to use menthol cigarettes than other age groups.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, claiming more than 480,000 lives every year. Although overall cigarette use is declining in the United States, millions of Americans still use tobacco products and the sale of flavored tobacco products and menthol cigarettes continues to increase steadily, especially among young people and new smokers.

ACS CAN is a member of the No More Flavored Tobacco coalition that also includes the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Breathe California, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund. The group has launched an educational website to inform the Bay Area about what’s at stake if flavored tobacco products aren’t reined in. Featured on the website is the report “The Flavor Trap: How Tobacco Companies Are Luring Kids with Candy-Flavored E-Cigarettes and Cigars” that details the dangers of flavored tobacco and how it is being marketed to hook the next generation to a potential lifetime nicotine addiction. Learn more at www.NoMoreFlavoredTobacco.org.

CONTACT:
Steph McCorkle
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
[email protected]
(916) 802-4033

About American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. ACS CAN supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

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