Amid warnings of growing youth nicotine addiction, Bay Area city council members are debating whether or not to ban flavored tobacco products.
San Jose may be the next big city in the Bay Area to ban flavored tobacco products. A long awaited vote is set for Tuesday and supporters said it can’t come soon enough.
"I see kids blatantly vaping at our city parks," said Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco who supports the proposal to ban the sale of flavored tobacco. She believes the ban is needed to curb widespread youth tobacco use. "The tobacco industry has a strong hold in our kids, enticing them with flavors leading them to a life of addiction," she said.
A major concern among advocates of the ban is the lack of help offered to children with tobacco addictions.
"One of the scary things is that there are no good treatments to help these kids quit," said Melissa Morgan, co-chair of the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Santa Clara County. "I want San Jose to take action now before it’s too late to protect my kids and all of their classmates."
Opponents argue that a ban would largely be ineffective as young people could simply shift to the black market to make their purchases. They also warn that such a ban would take a serious toll on local retailers.
Related
