Local Flavor Bans Are a Bad Idea

Several states are implementing bans on flavor in e-cigarettes including menthol flavors that are more restrictive than current FDA policy to prevent youth vaping.

These local legislative efforts to ban all flavored tobacco products, including menthol, essentially circumvent more thorough policy analyses conducted by the FDA. They likely to be ineffective and lead to unintended consequences while penalizing current adult cigarette smokers who would want to switch to less dangerous e-cigarettes.

With the national policy that raised the minimum age to purchase all tobacco products to 21 already showing a positive effect on teen vaping, the best use of local resources is to strengthen compliance with new age restrictions, other teen vaping prevention programs and investment in cessation resources.