News

In a win for public health, the District Council voted yesterday to approve legislation banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. The legislation is expected to be signed by Mayor Bowser.

B24-20, the Flavored Electronic Smoking Device Prohibition Amendment Act, prohibits the sale or distribution of all flavored electronic smoking devices in DC. The ban includes menthol cigarettes, and candy- and fruit-flavored e-cigarettes. The bill only criminalizes the sale and not the use of these products, to ensure residents are not harassed but instead the product companies can be prohibited from targeting residents. 

This was the final reading of the legislation, which moves it to the Mayor's office for consideration. An amendment to the bill made yesterday prohibits the police from enforcing the legislation without a prior request for assistance from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. 

DC becomes the second state behind Massachusetts to ban menthol cigarettes. The final vote was 8-5 in favor.

MSDC's Board voted a position of "support" for this bill earlier this year. MSDC remains concerned that flavored smoking devices are tools to increase nicotine addiction, and could increase smoking rates especially among young District residents. You can see all bills before the Council that MSDC is tracking here.