It’s hard to believe it’s almost October and that the 2022 legislative session is just around the corner. We don’t know yet how open to the public the Capitol building will be, but we wanted to give you a quick update on where one of our key issues – Flavored Tobacco - stands in Hawaii and invite you to help us with the campaign.
Hawaii like many states continues to see the number of people, especially youth, using flavored tobacco go up. In fact, recent data tells us that 30.6 percent of Hawaii high schoolers admit to regularly using flavored e-cigarettes/vape. On some islands it’s much higher. Research also tells us that 8 out of 10 people who use tobacco start with a flavored product and that is why we believe restricting the sale of these enticing flavors is so important. Currently the tobacco companies spend over $26 million a year marketing their products in Hawaii. We must do something to fight back and help stop another generation from nicotine addiction.
hero_image_alt_text===A table with a variety of different vape devices
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thumbnail_alt_text===A table with a variety of different vape devices
During the 2021 legislative session we supported legislation that would have restricted the sale of all flavored tobacco products including mint and menthol but sadly it did not move forward. We believe it is essential that mint and menthol be included in any legislation that restricts the sale of flavored tobacco products because experience in other states shows that that type of exemption favors the tobacco industry’s effort to steer kids to the products where flavors are still allowed and through its targeted marketing fuels health inequities in certain ethnic and lower socio-economic communities.
Thank you for your support. If you have any questions or would like to chat please reach out.
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