Letter to the editor: In favor of new flavored tobacco, menthol cigarette ban taking effect in June

Starting June 1st, 2020, flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes like Kools and Newports, will no longer be sold in Massachusetts stores. Last fall, the Fight All Flavors campaign and supporting partners worked to build grassroots understanding of a proposed flavored tobacco restriction that called out the tobacco and nicotine industries’ targeting of menthol in communities of color.

The tobacco and vaping industries have targeted youth, LGBTQ populations and communities of color with their deadly products, causing many health consequences for these populations. Flavors, like mint and menthol, are a leading reason that young people start vaping and using tobacco.

The law, which goes into effect on June 1, 2020, means that:

• Menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products like flavored cigars, flavored chewing tobacco, and flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products will no longer be widely available in Massachusetts.
• E-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products will increase in price.

I’m excited to see that No Menthol Know Why builds on that work. I work with community-based organizations, youth advocates, public health and health care partners, churches, and more to support the communities most impacted by the new law. We all want to build awareness about the law and provide information about the resources available to help people quit smoking.

You can spread the word in your community. Visit NoMentholKnowWhy.org to learn more and find tools and resource to share.

Contact me at mvital@sevenhills.org or (774) 634-3955 to learn more about the law and how you can support people in quitting.

Morissa Vital
Southeast Tobacco-Free Community Partnership, Program Manager
Seven Hills Behavioral Health