The DC Council voted 8-5 for the final passage of the Flavored Tobacco Product Prohibition Amendment Act of 2021
On Tuesday, June 29, the DC Council made history by passing the Flavored Tobacco Product Prohibition Amendment Act of 2021 (B24-0020) ending the sale of flavored tobacco products in the District of Columbia. This landmark legislation will protect DC kids from Big Tobacco, save lives and advance health equity.
“The vote to pass this bill by the DC Council prioritizes investments in our youth over profit by preventing more casualties to slick marketed flavored tobacco products,” stated Tambra Raye Stevenson, MPH, Health Chair, NAACP-DC.
“The passage of this bill will protect DC kids and advance health equity. We thank the Council for their leadership in passing this bill,” proclaimed Liz Furgurson, DC Tobacco Free Coalition Chair.
“Passing this legislation aligns with the lauded and bold actions of the DC Government holding tobacco companies like JUUL accountable for creating a teen public health crisis and deceiving District residents about flavored tobacco,” proclaimed Dr. Federico Asch, president of the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region Board of Directors and cardiologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
The legislation’s passage is a result of a multi-year effort thanks to the leadership of Councilmembers Cheh, Allen and Gray and the involvement of more than 70 organizations including DC Academy of Family Physicians, DC Federation of Civic Associations, Medical Society of DC, NAACP-DC.
We urge Mayor Bowser to quickly sign the legislation and the DC Council to fully fund it in the FY 2022 budget so it can go into effect at the start of this upcoming fiscal year.
Flavors Hook Kids DC is a coalition of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, NAACP – DC Chapter and more than 70 public health and community organizations focused on protecting DC youth from Big Tobacco by ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Learn more about the Flavors Hook Kids DC campaign at flavorshookkidsdc.org.