Administration Reverses Course on National Tobacco Product Flavor Ban

From your Colorado School of Public Health TA:

White House advisers say the president pulled back from proposed restrictions intended to curb teenage vaping after he was warned of the political fallout among voters. President Trump canceled the ban just hours before it was scheduled to be announced on November 5, 2019.

Read more from the Washington Post on the issue here.

This sudden change of course at the federal level demonstrates the critical importance of acting on tobacco control policy locally. Local policymakers often say they want to “wait and see” what the state or nation does before passing municipal-level policy. As another example, the FDA announced plans to regulate e-cigarettes and has proposed tobacco product flavor bans since 2016, which has not come to fruition. We cannot wait—as more youth get addicted to nicotine by the day—for the state or federal legislature to act. Local policies are stronger and more effective, as they are usually better enforced with real, meaningful penalties for violation. Continue to focus your advocacy efforts on local, evidence-based tobacco control policy, even if you receive push back from municipal policymakers to “wait and see”. Contact your STEPP POC or CSPH Technical Assistance Provider with any questions.

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