No thank you, Big Tobacco: Youth Voices on Oakland’s flavored tobacco ban

No thank you, Big Tobacco: Youth Voices on Oakland’s flavored tobacco ban

Bubble gum, strawberry, chocolate flavored tobacco?

Youth leaders at La Clinica de La Raza’ Peer Health Education Program are speaking out about a newly proposed policy that would restrict the sale of flavored tobacco products in the City of Oakland. And, yes, that includes menthol cigarettes. The proposed ordinance was supported unanimously by Oakland City Council on July 18, 2017, and for good reason.

Says 16 year old Oakland high school student A.J.: “Tobacco companies target teens with their candy-flavored tobacco products, and the research proves that many smokers today get hooked at a young age.” The link is clear – the sweet flavors, colorful packaging and cheap prices of flavored tobacco products are highly appealing to youth, and not surprisingly, over 80% of youth tobacco users ages 12-17 initiate with flavored tobacco. We know that the earlier a person starts using tobacco, the higher the risk of addiction and the harder it becomes to quit.

According to A.J.: “These tobacco products are accessible by any teenager looking to roll a swisher filled with marijuana or try trending vapes with candy-flavors. I have family members that smoke, and I have seen the unfortunate health risks they encounter and the financial disadvantages they struggle with. That’s why, as a teenager, I chose to become involved in tobacco prevention work to help my close family members and friends become aware of the harms of tobacco use in hopes that they quit. As an Oakland resident and a concerned teenager, I believe that the city where I live and go to school should take the next step forward in protecting my peers from accessing flavored tobacco.”

A.J. isn’t the first to identify flavored tobacco as a youth starter product. In 2009, the FDA banned the sale of flavored cigarettes (excluding menthol), given the overwhelming evidence that they were marketed to and primarily consumed by youth. Circumventing this ban, tobacco companies created flavored non-cigarette tobacco products which are currently unregulated, and highly popular among youth.

Says Oakland high school student R.S., “I’ve always been surrounded by flavored tobacco products, as I constantly see close friends smoking them. A ban on the sale of flavored tobacco means a whole lot to me personally because it sends a powerful message on how harmful and addictive flavored tobacco products are. The tobacco industry strategically creates candy flavors to get teens hooked, uses packaging to get youth to try their products, and prices these products to make it affordable for purchase.”

You may recall California recently raising the age of tobacco purchase to 21, and wonder: how can youth buy flavored tobacco if stores cannot sell to minors? This new law is expected to significantly reduce youth access to tobacco. However, while many stores adhere to this law, enforcement can be difficult. Some retailers will sell to youth they know from their neighborhood. “Down the street from my school there is a gas station that sells flavored tobacco and I personally know a few classmates that purchase flavored swishers, wraps, and single cigars to smoke weed,” says R.S. “They hang directly outside of the store smoking with their friends, and others who walk by might feel influenced to do the same.”

La Clinica youth leaders believe in Oakland’s responsibility to prioritize the health of its most vulnerable residents. “Imposing a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products will prevent teens from starting to smoke in the first place, and will help to prevent another generation of smokers.”

--AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli