June 2022

Advocacy Efforts Lead to Flavored Tobacco Ban

Breathe SoCal joins with coalition of community leaders to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in Los Angeles

At Breathe Southern California, advocating for policy that promotes clean air and healthy lungs is an important part of our mission. Fighting against and educating communities on the dangers of flavored tobacco have long been priorities of our Advocacy and Programs teams.

We aren't alone in these efforts. In 2009 the United States Congress passed The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which banned flavored cigarettes but made an exception for menthol flavors.

Unfortunately, this was a temporary victory, as the tobacco industry worked to find a way around this ban: e-cigarettes. Flavored e-cigarettes quickly became especially dangerous to children, enticing them with flavors such as cotton candy, bubblegum, and chocolate. Flavored products fueled the current epidemic of youth e-cigarette use, with more than 30% of LA County high school students having tried e-cigarettes, and nationally 3.6 million kids are frequent users.

The policy response to flavored e-cigarettes is an emergent process. In April of 2022, the FDA announced plans to eventually ban flavored tobacco products, including menthol, but until that ban is enacted, advocates and local and state governments continue the fight to protect us from the tobacco industry.

The California state legislature adopted a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products across California; however, it is not yet in effect and may be vetoed by a referendum in November. Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, was one of the last major cities in California not to have a ban in place.

On June 1, 2022, Los Angeles finally adopted its own ban on flavored tobacco products.

Achieving this took two years of advocacy work, including phone banking events and arranging a high turnout for public comment at City Hall. The ordinance goes into effect on January 1, 2023, and includes menthol as a prohibited flavor.

The inclusion of menthol was a significant victory. Proponents of the tobacco industry have relentlessly fought for a menthol exemption, arguing that because it is the preferred cigarette amongst the Black community, a ban on menthol will result in more policing of that community. Los Angeles City Councilman Harris-Dawson pushed back on the idea, saying “It is a flavor just like every other flavor, and it would have been extremely disappointing if we had said we're going to protect people and children from the uptake of tobacco, except for the flavor that we know Black people first and Latinos second use the most." The passage of this ordinance was a great victory for public health. Tobacco has taken too many lives and flavored tobacco products were clearly a method of expanding a consumer base.

This ban is a significant step toward protecting human lives from the danger of tobacco, and Breathe SoCal is honored to have helped achieve such a monumental goal.

By Ivan Fornesca

Public Policy and Communications Coordinator

Upcoming Events

June 25: Blue Sky LA

Lopez Urban Tree Farm Planting

Join Breathe SoCal and Climate Cents as we help clear the air by planting native trees at Pomona's Lopez Urban Farms!

Volunteer

June 21 6pm, Panel Discussion

The Threat of Wildfires: Programs, Resources and Tips to Protect Your Family and Your Community

Sean Inoue: A Southern California native, Sean has more than 10 years of leadership experience with nonprofits and currently serves as Executive Director for the American Red Cross, Western Los Angeles. Sean found his passion for nonprofit work when he started volunteering with The Laurel Foundation. Seeing the impact basic health, food and shelter services can have on vulnerable communities inspired him to continue his work serving others.Eager to make a lasting impact with one organization, Sean decided to commit his career to the nonprofit he found most inspiring, the American Red Cross.

Dalia Gomez: serves as the External Affairs Manager – Los Angeles County for Clean Power Alliance. With over 10 years of experience in external affairs in the energy industry, she is passionate about building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders to drive change and build a sustainable energy future. Dalia is committed to the empowerment of the communities in and around the county. She holds a Master of Public Administration in Public Sector Management and Leadership from California State University, Northridge and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and Education from California State University, Los Angeles.

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