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Escambia County Retailers Asked To Stop Selling Flavored Tobacco Products
July 8, 2011
Retailers in Escambia County are being asked to voluntarily stop the sale and marketing of flavored tobacco products.
The Escambia County Commission recently adopted an ordinance asking for the removal of flavored tobacco products from store shelves at the urging of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program of the Escambia County Health Department, and the Healthy Environments are Tobacco-Free (HEAT) Partnership.
“Tobacco companies use youth-oriented, colorful and stylish packaging to exploit adolescents’ attraction to candy-flavored tobacco with names such as “mandarin mint”, “winter warm toffee”, and twista chill”. The United States Surgeon General asserts that adolescent experimentation with smoking can be directly attributed to tobacco advertising and promotional activities,”" according to a news release from the Escambia County Health Department.
“We have spent countless hours educating students and the general public about the deceptive and deadly nature of these products,” said Vanessa Phillips, tobacco prevention coordinator for the Escambia County Health Department. “By passing this resolution, the County Commissioners are making a major statement showing that they care about protecting the health and future of Escambia County youth.”
Last year, a Florida Youth Tobacco survey was conducted to obtain a representative sample of middle school and high school students’ access to tobacco, their tobacco-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, and their exposures to pro-tobacco and anti-tobacco influences. The results indicated that the estimated number of students using tobacco were 3,752, with 871 of those being middle school students.
Phillips said that the SWAT youth received 450 signatures of support from concerned registered voters in Escambia County who also wanted a ban on the sale and advertising of flavored tobacco products.
“The Students Working Against Tobacco made a very impressive presentation to the Board of County Commissioners. As a result, we were happy to support them with this resolution,” said Kevin White, Chairman of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
Flavored tobacco products are defined as loose tobacco including snuff flour, plug and twist tobacco, fine cuts, chewing tobacco, snus, smoking and snuffing tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco products and blunt wraps.
Comments
7 Responses to “Escambia County Retailers Asked To Stop Selling Flavored Tobacco Products”
Hello David Bramblett. I do not use tobacco products. I guess to me the thought of a grape or strawberry cigar was a little odd. I just learned something today, thanks.
mr bramblett- actually, i will agree w/you on one point…since congress passed the “public health cigarette smoking act” (bans the advertising of cigarettes on tv and radio) waaaay back in april of 1970 i am quite sure that your 9 year old daughter HAS NOT seen any tobacco advertising directed towards her on the television- they are probably talking about the advertising that takes place on the packaging of these flavored cigs….just like they had to remove the “joe camel” advertising, as it was specifically targeted to the young adult population….
429SCJ, who is “they?” Are you saying everyone who buys flavored tobacco uses the paper of these cigars to roll joints? No tobacco loving aduld could possibly just like to add a little flavor? Why should a law abiding citizen who doesn’t smoke pot have to “go one step further” to buy flavored tabacco that is no more harmful than what they already smoke?
Jcellop, where have these products ever been advertised to minors? I have a 9 year old who watches a lot of TV and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen an ad directed at her, nor had her ever ask me about flavored tobacco. Just because the tobacco is flavored, it MUST be targeted at kids? How about flavored alcohol? Should Mike’s Hard Lemonade, blueberry flavored beer or lemon flavored vodka be banned as well?
This isn’t a product that I have any personal stake in- I don’t use it. But I do have a problem with calling in the ‘gubment’ to do more policing just because parents are failing. Now, you people who support these kinds of regulations, have taken away my freedom to go buy a perfectly legal (and already regulated) product in this county, if I so choose.
Hello Briarroot. I believe they use those flavored cigars to roll giant joints. I do not see the big deal, if you are going to purchase illegal marijuana, why not go one step further, and buy an illegal cigar to wrap it in?
In this “free” country, I find more and more I am unable to freely smoke a legal product, one on which our country was founded. If it weren’t for tobacco, the United States never would have had the wherewithal to declare independence, for our first congress was *paid* in tobacco.
Many of our cultural icons: Albert Einstein, Samuel Clemens, even J.F. Kennedy were smokers. Are those of us who choose to smoke today going to be denied this freedom? I am no juvenile; I have smoked flavored tobacco for over 40 years and remain cancer-free. Now, because America is following the example of Nazi Germany (the first country to ban smoking) I find I may have to leave the country I love to pursue this happiness?
Wake up and smell the repression, for your favorite passtime may be next!
i greatly applaud the efforts of SWAT!…i would hope that even the adult smoking population of escambia county would stand behind this proposed measure to discourage smoking amongst our teens….as a nurse, ive conversed w/many sickly adult patients who greatly wish that they had never, EVER started this unhealthy, addictive and EXPENSIVE habit….i find it very annoying to think that many BIG tobacco producing companies specifically target youth to sell their product- guess their greed for $$ outweighs the health concerns, especially, the youth!
Because adults hate flavor.