San Jose, Calif. – The San Jose City Council voted unanimously last night to end to the sale of many flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes, flavored e-cigarettes and flavored cigars. The action, once final, would make San Jose the largest city in the country to end the sale of menthol cigarettes. However, the City Council exempted flavored shisha, flavored cigars and flavored loose-leaf tobacco.
The following is a statement from ACS CAN Government Relations Director Jen Grand-Lejano:
“Tobacco is a leading cause of cancer and preventable death. By removing menthol cigarettes and most flavored tobacco products from their shelves, San Jose has taken a critical first step to put public health over industry profit. But we know that any flavored product that is left on the market risks becoming the next go-to product for youth. That’s why we’ll continue this fight in San Jose to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products including flavored shisha and cigars, like Santa Clara County, San Francisco, and Oakland have already done.”