Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation, but a referendum petition was filed three days later in an attempt to delay or potentially overturn the law. State lawmakers are moving to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and cigars. About 70% of Black smokers in California smoke menthol cigarettes, compared with 18% of white smokers, according to the California Department of Public Health. A Reynolds spokeswoman said a California ban would lead to an illicit market for menthol cigarettes and racial profiling of Black smokers by police. This law hinders that ability.”. Unruh said his wife was involved in the effort to pass Senate Bill 793, which banned the sale of flavored tobacco. Gen. Xavier Becerra asking for an investigation of “numerous instances of illegal signature-gathering tactics,” noting that it is a misdemeanor for signature gatherers to intentionally misrepresent a referendum petition. “Big Tobacco knows that California voters won’t sign their referendum if they understand what it does, so they’re obfuscating the truth yet again to protect tens of millions of dollars in monthly revenue from candy flavors.”. The House is slated to vote on new restriction banning menthol in e-cigarettes … This shameless industry is a sore loser and it is relentless. Background. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. The Trump election fraud story has the TV news biz asking. Proponents of the veto referendum seek to place Senate Bill 793 (SB 793), which was signed into law on … It wants to keep killing people with its candy-, fruit-, mint- and menthol-flavored poison. Kids and the Tobacco Predator Video 2016 California Ban on flavored tobacco sales is approved by California Assembly California retail stores would be banned from selling menthol cigarettes if legislation advanced Monday by … California has banned Newports and other menthol cigarettes, following a similar measure approved in Massachusetts last year. 2016 This infographic on the California Tobacco Control Program's TobaccoFreeCA website illustrates data on how menthol cigarettes impact the African-American community. SB 793, a bill making its way through the California State Legislature, is our state’s chance to finally stand up to Big Tobacco and say no to the sale of menthol cigarettes in our communities. Massachusetts2 (effective 11/27/19 for e-cigarettes; 6/1/20 for all other products) Pope Francis has made a Christmas Day appeal to nations to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone. Always been a Marlboro Ultra-Light (‘Silver pack’) smoker & buy a carton per week. - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would ban the sale of flavored cigarettes and e-cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes, as … The Food and Drug Administration concluded in 2013 that menthols were harder to quit and likely posed a greater health risk than regular cigarette. In California, close to 50 communities restrict or ban flavored tobacco products; of those, more than 30 include restrictions on menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes … 3.6 earthquake hits near Coachella, Calif. A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was reported Friday afternoon at 12:25 p.m. Pacific time, nine miles from Coachella, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. “Flavored vapes [sales] have been banned,” she adds. State Sen. Gerald Hill (D-13), who sponsored the law banning flavored tobacco product sales, responded to the veto referendum, saying, “California fought Big Tobacco and won. Device and Flavor Ban Frequently Asked Questions . report. A menthol cigarette ban in California would have potential to create one of the most lucrative criminal cigarette markets in history. At least one person on board suspected why Isaias Hernandez had fallen ill on the United Airlines flight to LAX. Menthols represent about a third of the $94 billion annual U.S. cigarette market, according to Euromonitor. The California state legislature passes a ban on menthol cigarettes, a move that follows weeks of lobbying by British American Tobacco (BTI +0.7%), … Supporters of the new law estimate the tobacco industry will generate $1.1 billion in revenue from the sale of menthol cigarettes during the 22 months that California’s law would be delayed. California has banned Newports and other menthol cigarettes, following a similar measure approved in Massachusetts last year. Packs of menthol cigarettes and other tobacco products at a store in San Francisco. L.A. County is probing whether a new, more contagious COVID strain is spreading locally. Mayor Eric Garcetti says it appears likely. Trump’s repeatedly discredited attempt to overturn the November results has been given continued sustenance by the Fox News star. Going beyond Federal Ban. The late pop star’s Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, near Santa Barbara, has found a new owner in billionaire businessman Ron Burkle. California is set to ban menthol cigarettes on Jan. 1. Imperial Brands PLC makes the Kool and Salem brands. The coroner in Jefferson Parish, La. In a news conference just before taking the action, he said, "It will be a point of deep pride and personal privilege as a father of four and as someone who has had many, many family members die at the hands of the tobacco industry to sign that bill. “I knew the bill passed so when I heard that [request], I was surprised,” Unruh said. The new law, which bans the retail sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol and fruit flavors, as well as those used in electronic cigarettes, was approved by the state Legislature and governor in August and is set to take effect on Jan. 1. California remains a powerhouse, but demographic and economic data do raise some worries. The new law, which bans the retail sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol and fruit flavors, as well as those used in electronic cigarettes, was … There’s only one way to join this exclusive COVID-19 club. An attorney for the group Tobacco Free Kids Action Fund filed a complaint with state Atty. When California state Sen. … Flavor ban (including menthol cigarettes) within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, parks, and libraries; min. California isn't a huge market for cigarettes -- it represents about 7% of cigarette unit sales in the U.S., according to Ms. Kaufman. Starting January 1, it will be illegal to sell most flavored tobacco products in California. Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch sold to billionaire. Senate Bill 793 was signed into law last Friday, banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in California. The increase over 2019’s total fatalities will mark the largest single-year percentage leap since 1918. California Supreme Court allows murder charge in stillborn fetus case. The coalition behind the referendum drive has received $15 million from tobacco companies such as Philip Morris USA and its affiliated U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co., as well as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. As medical facilities throughout L.A. County experience an onslaught of COVID-19 patients, officials warn that only the sickest should be sent to the ER. What happened to Maria Bartiromo? The largest tobacco manufacturers are suing California to prevent its broad tobacco flavor ban. “We have not heard any such complaint, other than the distortions from opponents who conveniently fail to mention that their so-called flavor ban exempts expensive flavored cigars for the wealthy and reduces funding for healthcare and education,” Miller said. The written request for an investigation, which was also sent to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, included a video of a signature gatherer in front of a grocery store in Encinitas standing behind a table with a sign that read, “Ban Vape Flavors.”. L.A. County records 140 COVID-19 deaths in one day, a new record. “In several instances, petition circulators for this referendum have approached voters and asked them to sign this petition under the pretense that signing the petition would support banning flavored tobacco,” attorney Lance Olson wrote. In 2018, the agency said it was working on banning menthol-flavored cigarettes and cigars. The new law, aimed at keeping flavored tobacco products away from youth, was cast by opponents as being discriminatory against African American smokers who favor menthol cigarettes. L.A. County hospitals running dangerously low on oxygen, supplies as ER units are overwhelmed, Clearing emergency rooms becomes vital as hospitals struggle with critical patients, How an L.A. indie bookstore’s GoFundMe inspired a small business lifeline. 1. Menthol cigarettes have long been on policy makers' radar. save. The American Heart Assn. Terms and Conditions Privacy Center Disclosures Member User Agreement Corrections Cookies. “You are trying to bring them back.”, The unidentified man, referring to the store, responds: “You can walk in there and see the flavors right now.”, Six other residents told the anti-tobacco group that they also felt misled by signature gatherers, including one who allegedly approached Brian Unruh in front of a Sacramento Walmart and asked, “Will you sign this petition to help ban the sale of flavored tobacco to children?”. A magnitude 2.7 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 8:42 a.m. Pacific time in Anaheim, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Ban Menthol Cigarettes. Supporters of a coming ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products in California asked the state attorney general on Tuesday to investigate complaints that people gathering signatures for a referendum to overturn the law have misrepresented the effort. The high court declined to stop the prosecution of a woman who was charged with murder after authorities said she used methamphetamine before her fetus was stillborn. 100% Upvoted. Cotton candy vape, tropical fusion cigarillos and menthol cigarettes will be extinct in California after a bill aimed at stopping kids from getting addicted to tobacco sailed through the Legislature today— and the governor … Beth Miller, a spokeswoman for the tobacco industry’s California Coalition for Fairness, the group behind the referendum, said the coalition has provided the public with an accurate assessment of the new law with a website. How to acquire menthol cigarettes in california after menthol ban on the 1st? Pope’s Christmas Day plea: Make COVID-19 vaccines available for everybody. The ban is part of a measure barring the sale of flavored tobacco products, including all e-cigarettes except those that taste like tobacco, and would exclude hookahs and some cigars. Bill 793 makes no such exemptions. Impending California Menthol Ban Options? The California Flavored Tobacco Products Ban Referendum (#20-0003) may appear on the ballot in California as a veto referendum on November 8, 2022.. U.S. deaths in 2020 top 3 million, by far the most ever counted. confirmed that suspicion a week later, listing “acute respiratory failure; COVID-19" as the cause of death. “This is categorically false, as this referendum seeks to overturn the law prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products.”. Despite the large amount of money being spent on the referendum, tobacco companies would still come out ahead financially if the measure qualifies and delays the new law. © Copyright 2020 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The California bill will ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and all flavored e-cigarettes statewide, as well as flavored non-cigarette tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco and some cigars. Notably, San Francisco banned menthol cigarettes along with all flavored tobacco products in 2018, before banning all vapes and e … The FDA’s ban is focused only on e-cigarettes, with exceptions for certain types of flavored e-cigs. CDA and more than two dozen health care, youth and community organizations, supported the bill to keep flavored vaping liquids, menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products out of retail stores and vending machines statewide. The industry is out to stop it He previously worked in the Los Angeles City Hall Bureau for The Times. Write to Jennifer Maloney at jennifer.maloney@wsj.com and Christine Mai-Duc at christine.maiduc@wsj.com. 1 comment. California’s ban on menthol cigs goes into effect January 1, 2021! California has banned Newports and other menthol cigarettes, following a similar measure approved in Massachusetts last year. He is a native of San Diego and a graduate of San Jose State University. Above, flavored vaping cartridges. This is not the first time supporters of the tobacco ban have cried foul about representations made by the tobacco industry. According to a press release issued by Hill last week, the proposal would make California the first state in the nation to ban retail stores from selling menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes, e-hookahs and e-pipes. Column: California isn’t ‘hemorrhaging’ people, but there are reasons for concern. If the referendum by the tobacco industry qualifies with enough valid signatures, a law banning the sale of flavored tobacco that is set to take effect on Jan. 1 would be delayed until voters act on the measure to overturn it in November 2022. The California measure on Friday passed the Senate 34-0, with five of the chamber's Republicans crossing party lines to vote yes. California’s governor signed a bill in August that outlaws the retail sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. Jane and Raymond Wurwand commit $1 million in grants to support small businesses in Los Angeles County struggling to survive COVID-19. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Sort by. ... California Senate Bill 793, in its current form, would prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including mint and menthol. ", The vote came after weeks of lobbying by tobacco giant Reynolds American Inc., which makes Newport, the second-largest cigarette brand in the country and the most popular menthol variety. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 793 into law, banning the retail sale of flavored tobacco products in the state, effective January 2021. It excludes hookah and some cigars. Close • Posted by just now. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law Friday. They account for 55% of Reynolds American's cigarette sales by volume and 19% for Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc., according to Morgan Stanley analyst Pamela Kaufman. California’s proposed ban extends wider than the partial ban recently announced by the Food and Drug Administration. "The more of the U.S. population already under a menthol ban, the more political cover for Congress to do the same -- which I think could happen in 2021 if the Senate flips," said Stefanie Miller, managing director at investment adviser FiscalNotes Markets. If the referendum by the tobacco industry qualifies with 623,312 valid signatures submitted by Nov. 26, implementation of the law banning the retail sale of flavored tobacco would be delayed until voters act in the November 2022 election. hide. Gov. pack for little cigars (10) / cigars (10), unless a cigar is priced at $5.00 or more; advertising restrictions within 1,600 ft. of school, parks, and playgrounds The tobacco companies also filed a federal lawsuit against the state on Oct. 9 that seeks an injunction to block the new law, arguing it is “an overbroad reaction to legitimate public-health concerns about youth use of tobacco products.”, Tobacco giant Altria, the parent company of Philip Morris USA, said in a statement that it wants to “protect the opportunity to make products available to adult smokers that may reduce the harm of smoking and preserve the ability to make tobacco harm reduction a reality. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill that bans the sale of flavored tobacco products in the state—a move that opponents of the bill said would devastate small retailers. It also exempts menthol cigarettes. WHITE A woman recording the man with a smartphone accuses him of misleading the public. The ban includes the sale of everything from menthol cigarettes to e-cigarette flavors, except tobacco. Patrick McGreevy is a reporter covering California state government and politics in the Sacramento Bureau. On United Airlines flight to LAX, he gave CPR to man dying of COVID-19. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. The U.S. House of Representatives in February passed a bill that would expand current restrictions on flavored tobacco products to include a ban on menthol-flavored cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Morningstar Index (Market Barometer) quotes are real-time. California Approves Ban on Flavored Tobacco ... (Data from the California Department of Public Health shows that 70% of Black smokers in the state prefer menthol cigarettes… The FDA in February implemented restrictions barring the sale of all e-cigarette cartridges except those tasting like tobacco and menthol. 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