US
San Francisco residents have voted to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in the city. The ban will include selling flavored vaping products, menthol cigarettes, flavored hookah tobacco, and infused cigars. Nearly 70% of San Francisco voters favored the ban, which was described by Politico described as being the “toughest-in-the-nation city law.”
In an appeal to voters, advocates of the ban said, “Tobacco products are flavored to taste like candy, fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, cocoa, menthol, mint, wintergreen, herb, or spice and many of the packages are designed to look exactly like popular kids candies like Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers, and Gummy Bears.”
However, some residents of the city pointed to the ways an all-out ban can be dangerous. “It’s disappointing that a majority of voters in San Francisco came to the conclusion that the best way to address an issue of concern, such as underage tobacco use, is a return to the policy of prohibition,” said Carlos Solórzano, c.e.o. of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco.