AUGUSTA – Today, Maine lawmakers will hear testimony on LD 1215 “An Act To End the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products.” This legislation would end the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Maine, including menthol cigarettes.
The following statement can be attributed to Kaden Schneider, a high school junior a Brunswick High School, who will deliver testimony at today’s hearing:
“The tobacco industry is targeting my friends and classmates, and one of the reasons so many of them are getting hooked is because of the appeal of fruity and candy type flavors. From what I see, most kids vape or smoke because they think it’s cool and most wouldn’t be using if it didn’t taste good. When they start using, many of them have trouble stopping – just like the tobacco industry intended.
“Whether you call them e-cigarettes or call them vapes, the use of flavored tobacco products in any form effects all of us – there are kids across every stereotypical high school group that do it. Some kids can hardly make it through one class without needing to use their or their friend’s e-cigarettes, filled with some fruity or otherwise appealing flavor.
“Lawmakers need to pay attention to what’s happening to my friends and classmates and act to end the sale of flavored tobacco products in Maine. A town-by-town approach isn’t enough to keep protect kids – we need to make sure these products aren’t being sold anywhere in the state, in order to protect kids everywhere in the state.”
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