By Brian Day, Desert Sun
October 2, 2024- Newly signed legislation seeks to snuff out out the sales of flavored tobacco products in California by enacting additional penalties and restrictions on the already-banned items.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3218 into law over the weekend, which was meant to strengthen the state’s five-year-old ban on sales of all forms of flavored tobacco products, including vapes, chewing tobacco and other similar products.
The bill, authored by state Rep. Jim Wood, D-Healdsbury, and state Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, goes into effect on Jan. 1, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who sponsored it.
“California has been a leader in combatting the sale of addictive flavored tobacco products, and AB 3218 will further strengthen these efforts by providing new tools to protect the health of all Californians, particularly our youth, from the dangers of these harmful products,” Bonta said.
“I am grateful to Governor Newsom, Speaker Rivas, and Assembly member Wood for their leadership in holding the tobacco industry accountable for their actions targeting our youth,” he said. “At the California Department of Justice, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure sellers across the state come into full compliance with the law.”
What does the new law do?
The new law will create a publicly available list of all permitted, unflavored tobacco products offered for sale in the state.
It further allows the Attorney General to go after civil penalties against those who sell any tobacco products not included on the list, or which lack U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization. Unlisted items can also be seized.
The law also broadens the definition of a banned flavor to include menthol-like products that impart “a cooling sensation distinguishable by an ordinary consumer during the consumption of a tobacco product.”
Why are flavored tobacco products banned in California?
High-nicotine products produced in “kid-friendly” flavors have led to a rapid increase in youth tobacco use in recent years, particularly among middle school students, according to Bonta’s office.
Wood said through his longtime experience as a dentist, “I have forever opposed the use of tobacco of any kind, and will continue to support policies that restrict its use.”
“Since my time on the Healdsburg City Council many years ago, I have successfully supported and passed measures to protect the health of Californians from the use of tobacco products, especially youth,” he added.
Rivas also said the measures were necessary to “protect California’s young people from the harms of addictive flavored tobacco products.”
“I appreciate the Governor for signing this newest legislation, and thank Dr. Wood and the Attorney General for their leadership in keeping our children and teenagers safe and healthy,” he said.
