California 'Endgame' Bill on Hold

On April 15, a California bill to phase out tobacco sales was put on hold, with anti-tobacco groups not saying why they have yet offered support. Instead, the bill was amended to enforce the existing ban on flavored tobacco.

Three years ago, to reduce the number of people smoking and vaping in California, advocates persuaded state legislative structures to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products following an intense industry lobbying campaign.

But in recent months, anti-tobacco groups had remained mainly silent when an incoming lawmaker submitted a proposal to phase out tobacco sales in California. His proposal, which stalled this week without getting a hearing, would introduce a bill in this session to strengthen the flavored tobacco ban enforcement.

In February, Assemblyman Damon Connolly, a San Rafael Democrat, introduced Assembly Bill 935, which would take the bold step of banning the sale of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes, to people born on or after January 1, 2007.

This idea is still at the forefront globally. Last December, New Zealand became the first country to do so, banning the sale of tobacco products such as cigarettes to people born after 2008. The Massachusetts town of Brookline passed a more comprehensive ban on tobacco products in 2020, including e-cigarettes. The ban faced legal challenges from retailers and was upheld in court last year.

Lawmakers in Hawaii and Nevada have also proposed phaseout sales this year, but neither measure has yet to hold hearings.

Reference:

California Lawmakers Shelve Tobacco ‘Endgame’ Bill