San Diego Flavor Ban: Savior or Sabotage?

The SAAFE Act, proposed by Representative Marni von Wilpert, would ban flavored electronic cigarettes and tobacco products, but exempts high-quality flavored cigars, flavored loose-leaf tobacco, and hookah.

Flavorless or tobacco-flavored electronic cigarettes, as well as FDA-approved smoking cessation devices, are also unrestricted.

Last week, Mayor Todd Gloria signed the ban into law.

Marni von Wilpert, a legislator, stated that "This new law will save lives and protect the health of children.

Our new partnership with the San Diego School will provide parents with important health resources, and as such, we are taking every possible step to prevent big tobacco from luring our children and hijacking their future.

Is a flavor ban the answer?

Meanwhile, renowned cardiologist and smoking cessation researcher Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos has recently reiterated that vape flavors are crucial in helping smokers switch to safer nicotine alternatives.

A researcher recently published a paper titled "The Spice of Life: A Case for Mitigating Tobacco Harms to Save Lives," which examines in detail the relationship between flavored nicotine products and successful smoking cessation.

The report emphasizes that flavor bans are a form of prohibition that only fuels the growth of a large black market, and leads to an increase in smoking rates as many e-cigarette users will revert back to smoking.

In a recent regulatory review, Farsalinos discussed a report examining the proposed ban by the Canadian Department of Health. He suggested that the reasons for implementing such a ban may be weakening, as evidence continues to emerge of its potential negative impact on public health.

Source: VapingPost