United States: Mayors adopt resolution supporting ban on tobacco and vaping flavors

At its annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, the United States Conference of Mayors approved a resolution supporting a ban on all flavored tobacco and vaping products, including e-cigarette flavors, menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

The resolution underscores the broad and strong support across the country for eliminating flavored tobacco and vaping products and preventing tobacco companies from using these products to directly target children and get them addicted to nicotine, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.[1].

This resolution should spur more states and localities to join the five states and more than 380 localities that have already taken action against the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products. It should also spur the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to meet its own deadline to issue final rules banning flavored menthol cigarettes and cigars by 2023, and to move quickly to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market.

Flavored products promote consumption among young people

The Conference of Mayors’ resolution makes clear the urgent need for action. As the resolution highlights, teen e-cigarette use is a growing public health problem driven by flavored products. As of 2022, more than 2.5 million young Americans were using vaping products, and 85,% of them reported using flavored products.

The resolution also supports a ban on all menthol products. The tobacco industry has intentionally marketed these products, particularly to black communities, for decades, causing devastating and disproportionate harm to the health of black Americans. The FDA has concluded that menthol tobacco products increase youth initiation to smoking, create greater addiction, and make it harder for smokers to quit.

A recent study Ohio State University reported that 71% of young vapers aged 14 to 21 in the United States said they would quit vaping if all e-cigarette flavors other than tobacco were banned, compared to just 39% if menthol and tobacco flavors remained allowed.[2]The study also showed that the intention to stop using e-cigarettes in the event of a ban was greater when they showed a preference for fruit flavors (78.5 %) and iced fruit flavors (73.1 %).

Banning flavors: a measure that is gaining ground in the United States and around the world

According to the Truth Initiative, as of December 31, 2022, 386 local governments and three Native American tribes in the United States have imposed restrictions on the sale of flavored nicotine products, including 119 that have comprehensive policies that prohibit the sale of all flavors for all products.[3].

In Europe, while characterizing flavors have been banned since May 2016 for traditional cigarettes and rolling tobacco and since May 2020 for menthol products, some countries have gone further and banned flavors for vaping products. Hungary, for example, bans all flavoring agents in vaping products. Finland and Estonia ban vaping products with flavors other than tobacco, and Denmark bans those with a flavor other than tobacco or menthol. The Netherlands recently mentioned its desire to ban all flavors except tobacco flavor for vaping products.[4].

Keywords: United States, flavors, ban, mayor, vaping, tobacco, menthol, teens

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[1] Press release, US Conference of Mayors Approves Resolution Supporting the Prohibition of All Flavored Tobacco Products, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, published June 5, 2023, accessed June 7, 2023

[2] Tobacco-Free Generation, US: More than two-thirds of youth say they would stop vaping if flavors were banned, published May 19, 2023, accessed June 7, 2023

[3] Tobacco-free generation, Ban on flavors for nicotine products gains ground in the United States, published on February 27, 2023, consulted on June 7, 2023

[4] Tobacco-free generation, What are the regulations on flavors for vaping products?, published January 30, 2023, accessed June 7, 2023