Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
No More Menthol Cigarettes: New Ban on Tobacco, Vape Flavors
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
November 27, 2019

Share

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ governor signed into law Wednesday a groundbreaking ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products, including menthol cigarettes.
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s signature makes Massachusetts the first to enact a permanent statewide ban, anti-smoking groups said.

“More than 80% of teens who have ever used a tobacco product started with a flavored product, and the tobacco industry knows this.” — The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network
It immediately bans the sale of flavored vaping products and will outlaw sales of menthol cigarettes starting June 1, 2020.
The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network said it hoped the new law would send a message to an industry accused of using flavored products to introduce teenagers to smoking.
“More than 80% of teens who have ever used a tobacco product started with a flavored product, and the tobacco industry knows this,” the organization said in an emailed statement.
Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called it “a critical step to help end the worsening youth e-cigarette epidemic and stop tobacco companies from using appealing flavors to lure kids into a lifetime of addiction.”
In September, Baker had declared a public health emergency and ordered a temporary ban on the sale of all vaping products — flavored and unflavored.
Baker said Wednesday he’ll keep that ban in place until Dec. 11 while his administration drafts additional regulations.
 

Menthol Cigarettes Are Consumed Disproportionately by Young People and Minorities

The new law responds to growing concern about the health effects of vaping products, including deaths.
The law also places a 75% excise tax on vaping products and require health insurers, including the state’s Medicaid program, to cover tobacco cessation counseling.
“This nation-leading step will save lives,” Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo said.
The ban was passed by the Senate on Nov. 21 before the legislature broke for a holiday recess. It had earlier been passed by the state House of Representatives.
Studies have shown menthol cigarettes are consumed disproportionately by young people and minorities, and anti-tobacco groups and health experts have argued menthol has been marketed in particular to African Americans.
A major retailers’ organization called the legislation disappointing.
“We are disappointed the legislature supports bills that disproportionately impact communities of color and have disastrous implications for public health, public safety, state tax revenue and jobs in the Commonwealth,” Jonathan Shaer, president of the New England Convenience Store Owners and Energy Marketers Association said in a statement.
He called menthol and mint tobacco as “legal, adult products that aren’t associated with youth overuse.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

American Doctors Are Moving to Canada To Escape the Trump Administration

Clovis CPA Sentenced to Prison for $800K Bank Fraud Scheme

1 hour ago

His Gang Name Is ‘Goer.’ Now Fresno County Man Is Going to Prison for 20 Years

1 hour ago

‘King of the Hill’ Voice Actor Jonathan Joss Fatally Shot Outside His Texas Home

HOUSTON — Jonathan Joss, a voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series “King of the Hill,” was fatally shot near h...

19 minutes ago

Photo of caution tape
19 minutes ago

‘King of the Hill’ Voice Actor Jonathan Joss Fatally Shot Outside His Texas Home

Fresno County fire crews are battling a wildland blaze in Yokuts Valley near Rector Lane, where the RECTOR incident has burned 10 acres with the potential to spread to 100 on Monday, June 2, 2025. (CalFire)
37 minutes ago

Fresno County Crews Battle Active Wildfire in Yokuts Valley, Evacuation Warning Issued

1 hour ago

Not Quite ‘Hunger Games,’ but Fresno Budget Hearings Start

Photo of a laptop with a Department of Justice logo on the screens
1 hour ago

Clovis CPA Sentenced to Prison for $800K Bank Fraud Scheme

1 hour ago

His Gang Name Is ‘Goer.’ Now Fresno County Man Is Going to Prison for 20 Years

2 hours ago

Missing Woman Found Dead in Fresno County Canal Identified

2 hours ago

Co-Conspirator Sentenced in Fraud Involving Loans to Bitwise

Stephanie Marie Zamarripa is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for June 2, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Stephanie Marie Zamarripa

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend