At New York City Council Hearing ACS CAN Calls For Prohibiting the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products

NEW YORK, NY – January 30, 2019 – American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Managing Director for Government Relations Bill Sherman strongly advocated for Int 1345-2019 and Int 1362 at a New York City Council Health Committee Hearing today. Sherman spoke about the importance of the legislation to protect the health of New Yorkers by prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and menthol, mint and wintergreen flavors.

Sherman explained, “It is time for New York City to take this step to save lives and protect health. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette use by United States high school students rose 78 percent. Big Tobacco uses these flavored products to help lure new smokers. They especially target those in minority communities.  It is crucial for the city council to take a stand now and prohibit the sale of these products. We can reduce the use of tobacco products, reduce the death and disease associated with its use and make progress toward achieving health equity with passage and enactment of these measures.”

Read Sherman’s full testimony.

About ACS CAN
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, 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.