If House approves Senate-OKed bill, Vermont will be sixth state to enact menthol, flavored cigarette ban
In a new poll released by the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont and the Flavors Hook Kids Vermont Campaign, 68% of Vermonters say they support legislation pending in the state legislature to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. Big Tobacco has relentlessly targeted youth with flavored tobacco including fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes, menthol-flavored cigarettes, and other flavors. A bill to end the sale of flavored tobacco products, S.18, which has already passed the Senate, will be in front of the Vermont House of Representatives in January.
Vermont would become the sixth state to ban the sale of flavored tobacco. In November 2019, Massachusetts became the first state to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. In 2020, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island enacted bans on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and California became the second state to prohibit the sale of both flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes. The other states are Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and California.
The poll found that support for ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products comes from a broad-based coalition of Vermonters, including voters across the political spectrum and in every area of the state.
“Vermonters are incredibly concerned about the rates of youth tobacco addiction, and they value protecting kids’ health over profits for tobacco companies,” said Tina Zuk of the American Heart Association. “79% of Vermonters are concerned about young people in their communities smoking cigarettes and using vapes or other tobacco products. This poll tells us there is incredible support for ending the sale of flavored tobacco products in Vermont.”
The poll also found that, by a more than 2‐to‐1 margin, voters think that ending the sale of flavored tobacco products is a good idea because flavored tobacco gets young people to become addicted to tobacco products (66%) versus just 28% of voters saying it is a bad idea because it interferes with adults’ freedom to purchase tobacco in the flavors of their choice. Notably, after hearing an equal number of messages for and against the legislation, support for ending the sale of flavored tobacco increased to 72%.
“Our members, school leaders throughout the state, are seeing students become addicted to nicotine through vaping,” notes Jay Nichols, head of the Vermont Principals Association. “Vaping often starts because flavored vaping products appeal to our students, often getting them ‘hooked’ as early as middle school.”
More than 2.8 million middle and high schoolers still use tobacco products, with e-cigarettes being the most popular. Today nearly 90% of youth e-cigarette users are using flavored products, according to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey.
Vermont pediatrician, Dr. L.E. Faricy said: “Pediatricians, parents, and schools continue to struggle to support a large number of youth with nicotine dependence. Young people tell us they start using electronic cigarettes in part because the flavors are appealing and make the product seem benign. Flavors in tobacco products help introduce kids to nicotine at a critical developmental stage and can be very damaging to brain development. Young people in the state of Vermont deserve to have a good chance of reaching adulthood without being targeted for addiction to substances by corporations. The bill before you is what prevention looks like – reduce the appeal of and demand for harmful products by eliminating flavors as a hook.”
Methodology: The research firm Expedition Strategies conducted 500 total interviews in Vermont with a sample of likely 2024 general election voters. The interviews were conducted November 14-19, 2023. The margin of error for overall results is ±4.38% and higher among subgroups.
The Flavors Hook Kids Vermont campaign includes the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont and dozens of local, state, and national organizations dedicated to protecting kids from all tobacco products and addiction. More details can be found at www.FlavorsHookKidsVT.org.
Editor’s note: New Zealand recently backtracked on its government plan to make all tobacco sales illegal.
Contribute to Vermont Daily Chronicle via Stripe.com – quick, easy, confidential
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Press Release
But weed, a potent hallucinatory drug is all good despite causing long-term use lung disease, compromising ability to drive/use machinery, psychosis, hallucinations, hyperemesis syndrome, addiction, increased risk of using “hard” drugs, etc. etc….. all affirmed and verified now by: the government and virtually every medical association in the USA………
“Marijuana is totally benign” Vermont told you. Buy into government propaganda much, folks? ‘Cause the government WANTS you compromised & addicted. And they’ve won, as so many are.
So, Kathleen, you think it’s ok for candy-flavored tobacco to be among the number one product behind the counter of every single convenience store and drug store in the whole state?
Why do you think it must be a choice – one or the other – is my question to you, Brian. I personally don’t drink, smoke, OR take illegal drugs never did, and am perfectly happy……….save for the moronic radicals who have occupied the state house who must be druggies themselves since they believe men can become women, slaughtering one’s own unborn baby is “empowering”, and guns commit crimes.
Yeah, it can go right beside the candy-colored fentanyl pills coming into the country O Biden is letting in.
If VT really wants to make a statement ban all tobacco sales. Period.
Tobacco has been , and remains, the greatest health care risk to all Americans – not just Vermonters. Heart disease, lung cancer, second hand smoke…. You add to the list. Not to mention the billions wasted on this addictive habit and associated health care.
Where else can the government be more complicit in aiding in killing its own citizens?
Just as the smoker is dependent on the nicotine so is the state dependent on the tax revenue generated. Not to worry but the state seems more than ready to find other avenues.
I know there are the classic arguments that with a “ ban” comes policing, illegality, criminal activity. Just follow the marijuana model and ignore it. Why aid in providing a delivery system for this drug. No free cigarets ( like needles). Nicotine for withdrawal can be managed in different ways.
Farmers ( currently not too much different in concept than Afghanee poppy growers) can grow diversify crops and help reduce world hunger, create alternative fuels, grow sale-able crops , grow Christmas trees or compete with VT on maple trees.
Of course , if let to itself , this issue is self correcting with the user group going through a slow kill process. Just be patient and continue on the path.
Just as with other societal demons, VT can join class action suits and reap the benefits downstream. Just looks at the cash generated from talc, Round Up, asbestos etc. Just be patient and wait it out.
For now , the target is flavored tobacco. Why? Cause it’s bad for you…Just like the rest of tobacco.
The greatest health care risk by far is being fat. 70% of Americans are fat, and 40% are grotesquely obese. Way worse than smoking. We should ban all junk food. Why? Because it’s bad for you.
Waaaay too much money to be made off the citizenry for that. The fat cats of D.C. long ago became millionaires off the sale of tobacco products & continue to profit. Besides, with the quest to kill as many humans as possible as a WEC world-wide goal (for the greater “good” of course) – tobacco, illicit drugs, “recreational” drugs, Covid19 & similar viruses, a lax safety protocols in the food industry, rabid abortion advocacy, & euthanasia are ALL part of the plan. And those are only the beginning now……
Tobacco is honestly powerful nootrope in raw form. Raises IQ by five points! Is why popular with artists and writers since discovery. Pipe & cigar have fraction of cancer, much less addictive than conventional processed cigarettes, and like moderate drinking, moderate smokers of unadulterated tobacco products actually live longer.
Norman Rockwell first comes to mind. Think of all those iconic paintings that would be missing.
The chemicals in most commercial cigarettes which increase health risks as they exacerbate the effects of the nicotine.
Menthol is the #1 flavor cig among smokers in the black community by a large margin. As a black smoker myself, any lawmakers care to explain the racial fairness of a menthol ban in VT?
This stifles free enterprise.
How about we don’t ban any plants flavored or otherwise. How about people be free to make their bad decisions and live with the consequences…wow, what a concept.
Tell me why we need a Law to ban something from being sold legally? I mean … there are already restrictions for purchasing right? Isn’t it 21 yrs old to purchase? There are plenty of things that cause injury that you can purchase all day every day. Alcohol is pretty popular and it takes lives every day. Do we need the Government telling us what we can buy? They work for us….. when will we remind them of that? Before you know it we will have no say whatsoever !
Because that’s what communists do.
Fentanyl killing over 100,000 Americans per year and these clowns want to get rid of flavored tobacco products.
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-05-03/u-s-deaths-due-to-fentanyl-nearly-quadrupled-in-5-years
I wonder what Kevin Hoyt might have to say on this topic.