Legislature Hearing Demanded to Ban Menthol Cigarettes in NYC

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Nov.20.2023
Legislature Hearing Demanded to Ban Menthol Cigarettes in NYC
New York City social justice and health groups demand a hearing on Intro 577, legislation to end the sale of menthol cigarettes in the city.

According to a report by Readme, a New York City advocacy group for social justice and health has demanded that the City Council hold a public hearing on Intro 577 legislation. This legislation aims to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes in the city.

 

Despite the support of half of the city council members and civil rights leaders, Intro 577 has yet to undergo a public hearing after more than a year of waiting. Council Member Lynn Schulman, chair of the Health Committee, is the initiator of this bill. Last week, Senator Gillibrand also expressed support for the federal ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes.

 

Tabitha Ellis, Chairwoman of the Advocacy Committee of the American Heart Association in New York City, has called for the removal of mint-flavored tobacco products from the market. Mint flavoring has been found to make smoking easier to start and harder to quit. Each year, without legislation to end the sale of mint-flavored cigarettes in New York City, thousands of new teenagers, predominantly from minority communities, will begin smoking and develop nicotine addiction through mint-flavored products. For decades, major tobacco companies have aggressively marketed mint-flavored tobacco products in minority communities, but we can now tackle this issue through effective legislation.

 

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