The City Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that urges local retailers to stop selling flavored tobacco following a presentation by two students.
Students Working Against Tobacco members Shania Weekley, 15, and Gage Bailey, 16, gave a PowerPoint presentation opposing the products that particularly attract younger customers. Teens think bidis — Indian hand-rolled cigarettes — and hookahs taste better and seem safer than cigarettes, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration studies.
The FDA also reports that some tobacco companies’ internal memos indicate marketing efforts for youth-targeted cigarettes.
A clerk at Laurel Hill’s Tom Thumb said the store sells about 40 types of flavored tobacco.
A popular chewing tobacco brand can offer several flavors, Bailey said.
“It can be found in peach, apple and even chocolate flavors,” he said.
Flavored tobacco acts as a “starter” product that can lead to tobacco addiction, according to the FDA’s website.
“Almost all of Florida has a city or county with a resolution” discouraging the sale of such products, Weekley said.
The city of Crestview approved a similar resolution last year.
Following the students’ presentation, the Laurel Hill City Council adopted a resolution that urges local retailers to stop selling flavored tobacco products, informs nwfdailynews.com.
Students Working Against Tobacco is a statewide youth organization that opposes tobacco use and aims its message at youths, according to the Florida Department of Health’s website.
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