Press release
On Tuesday, April 17th, Mono County became the 19th community in California to prohibit the sale of flavored and menthol tobacco products in unincorporated area stores.
In recent years, tobacco companies have significantly stepped up the offerings of flavored tobacco products, especially electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), chew, vaping products and little cigars. These flavored products are undermining efforts to reduce teen tobacco use and put a new generation at risk of nicotine addiction and the serious health harms that result from tobacco use and vaping.
According to tobacco industry documents, flavors of food attractive to children were used to attract new users, primarily youth. While flavored cigarettes are prohibited by Federal law, cigarillos, vaping liquids and chew tobacco are offered in as many flavors as sugary drinks and candies. The FDA approves flavors for eating and drinking, but not for inhaling.
“Flavored tobacco only serves to disguise tobacco and make the toxins go down easier,” confirms Mono County Health Officer, Tom Boo. “And menthol anesthetizes the lung passages, which may allow smokers to inhale more deeply which could have harmful effects. There is no beneficial effect to smoking or recreational vaping, period.”
To assess the impact of removing flavored and menthol tobacco from stores in unincorporated Mono, last August the Mono County Public Health Department conducted a survey of tobacco retailers in the unincorporated county area. Results indicated that regular tobacco, including chew, were the most requested products and the prohibition of the sales of flavored tobacco products would not be a burden to 10 out of 11 tobacco retailers surveyed. (Two tobacco retailers did not sell flavored tobacco.)
The new County law also created twenty-foot smoke/vape free zones from businesses, in county parks, outdoor dining, special events, county vehicles and several other locations becoming the 104th California community to do so. With more people expecting protection from secondhand smoke and with fewer and fewer people smoking, 50 out of 70 unincorporated Mono businesses surveyed by the Public Health Department in September 2015 supported the new law.
“many things go unnoticed under the radar such as the opioid crisis”
Big money
What’s next, soda pop, and most good movies?
JUULing is a dangerous form of vaping that is sweeping through high schools across the country and the latest de jour topic in the national media. It is almost a welcome relief from the coverage of the Trump and the Stormy Daniel story and the teens “eating Tide pod challenge.”… Read more »
Jeff, you sound like my third grade teacher. Live and let live.
Got a question for all commentators – we had a guest stay in one of our motel rooms that has no smoking signs on the door, in the room, etc. He vaped in the room, and said it wasn’t smoking? Do we need to change all our signage to “No… Read more »
“VAPING” residue and the smell it produces is almost as bad as tobacco . So just like the “new” signs that have to be put on the restroom doors to accomodate all, I reckon you’ll have to do the same just to cover your 6.
Rick….AND….a couple years back I tried the vaping,thinking,hoping it would make me quit,or at least cut-down on cigarettes…what it ended up doing was make me cough and weez more than before.
Ummm, my motels are a tad bit better than a “6”. But I love your reference. Spending more money on things we shouldn’t have to…like handicap pool lifts, that no one uses, or panic buttons for housekeepers, when they could just yell “freak”…
Bye, California…
Aren’t pool lifts a requirement of the ADA? All states must comply with ADA.
More laws for people to ignore. Have police ever cited a smoker for smoking within 20 feet of a business entrance, or do they just ask them to put it out? An example, the outdoor seating area in front of Subway and the Looney Bean in Mammoth there are signs… Read more »