Coloradans Are Taking On Big Tobacco At The Ballot Box!

You’ve likely heard about the perils of e-cigarettes — the vaping devices that inject high-nicotine vapor and other toxins into kids’ lungs — and how it has become the nicotine product of choice for high schoolers. What you may not know is just how quickly it is spreading among teens in Colorado— and how alarmingly high the rate of teen e-cigarette use has climbed in our community. 

According to the latest survey by Healthy Kids Colorado, over 33% of Colorado school children report using tobacco or nicotine products; 27% said they used e-cigarettes.  It's an epidemic.

This year, many Coloradans will get a chance to do something important to protect our kids from the deadly effects of tobacco and nicotine.  Across the state, towns, cities, and counties are taking on Big Tobacco at the ballot box this November.  Several communities have tobacco taxes on the ballot, which will raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $4 and levy a 40% tax on other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.  Those communities are Eagle County, Summit County, and Glenwood Springs.  Other communities with tobacco taxes on the ballot include Pitkin County, Vail, New Castle, and Crested Butte.  Research shows that raising the price of these dangerous products is key to curbing underage use and access. 

Ballots need to be received by mail or delivered in person to the County Clerk and Recorder no later than 7PM on November 5th.  If you have questions about your ballot, or haven't received one yet, go to www.GoVoteColorado.com.  

Many cities and towns have already passed new measures -  such as Tobacco 21, tobacco retail licensing, and e-cigarette flavor restrictions - to keep our kids safe from the deadly effects of tobacco and nicotine.  A few of the ordinances that have passed this year: 

Aspen – Flavors Restrictions

Boulder – T21/Flavors Restrictions for electronic smoking devices

Breckenridge – T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Broomfield - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Carbondale – TRL/Flavors Restrictions

Denver - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Dillon - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Eagle County - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Edgewater – T21

Frisco T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Glenwood Springs – T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing/Flavors Restrictions

Gypsum - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Minturn - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Otero County – Tobacco Retail Licensing

Silverthorne - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Snowmass Village - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Summit County - T21/Tobacco Retail Licensing

Superior – T21

This is powerful evidence that the American Heart Association and its advocate volunteers together are a relentless force for building longer, healthier lives in Colorado.