BOSTON – Oct. 9, 2020 – The following statement is from Allyson Perron Drag, government relations director for the American Heart Association in Massachusetts.
By becoming the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, Massachusetts ensured we won’t lose a new generation of kids to nicotine.
The data shows that tobacco use among kids is driven by youth friendly e-cigarette flavors and the easy availability and appeal of menthol cigarettes. Nearly two-thirds of high school students who use e-cigarettes use mint or menthol flavors. Nearly 90% of African American smokers and 45% of Latino smokers use menthol products.
Tobacco companies target youth and adolescents with million-dollar marketing campaigns and thousands of appealing flavors that are specifically designed to attract and hook kids. These predatory marketing practices also target African Americans, Latinos and the LGBTQ community with deadly products specifically designed to entice them.
We encourage states and cities across the country to follow Massachusetts’s example and protect youth and young adults from the dangers of nicotine addiction by ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
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The American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
For Media Inquiries:
Christopher Camire
Senior Director of Communications
781.373-4521
[email protected]