Bill > S1947

Introduced Session

This bill includes menthol and clove cigarettes in the current prohibition against the sale and distribution of flavored cigarettes. Current State law provides that no person may sell, offer for sale, distribute for commercial purpose at no cost or minimal cost or with coupons or rebate offers, give, or furnish to a person a cigarette that imparts a "characterizing flavor other than tobacco, clove or menthol." The ban applies to the cigarette, any smoke emanating from the cigarette, and any component part of the cigarette, including the tobacco, paper, roll or filter, or any other matter or substance that can be smoked. A series of monetary penalties and adverse licensure actions may be imposed for violations of the ban. The current State law was enacted in 2008; in 2009, a federal ban on the sale of flavored cigarettes was enacted and codified at 21 U.S.C.S. s.387g. The federal law includes clove flavorings in the ban, but provides an exception for tobacco and menthol flavors. This bill updates the current State law to reflect the federal ban on clove-flavored cigarettes, and additionally prohibits sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes, which are associated with increased health risks, increased addiction potential, increased difficulty quitting, and increased rates of young people starting smoking and progressing to regular tobacco use. Additionally, marketing of menthol cigarettes has historically targeted African American and other minority communities, resulting in disproportionately higher rates of menthol cigarette use within those communities. It is the sponsor's belief that banning all sales of menthol cigarettes in the State will promote the public health and mitigate the enhanced risks associated with menthol cigarette use.

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Committee Categories

Sandra Cunningham (D)*,  Bob Singer (R)*,  Joe Vitale (D)*,  Shirley Turner (D), 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 11/14/2019)