San Francisco Adopts Total Flavor Ban
NATO Endorses Campaign to Repeal San Francisco’s Ordinance
This past week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, menthol, mint and wintergreen tobacco products, and flavored e-cigarette/vapor products. The ordinance was amended to go into effect in April, 2018, rather than on January 1, 2018. The ban affects every kind of retailer that is licensed to sell tobacco products in San Francisco. A significant industry-wide effort, including important advocacy contributions by NATO, was taken to oppose this total flavor ban ordinance.
With the passage of the San Francisco flavor ban ordinance, a new coalition called “Let’s Be Real San Francisco” has been formed to launch an effort to gather signatures from San Francisco voters to require the city’s Board of Supervisors to place a referendum question on an election ballot next year. If a sufficient number of signatures are obtained, the voters of San Francisco will have the final say on whether the flavor ban ordinance actually goes into effect.
The “Let’s Be Real San Francisco” coalition is comprised of concerned residents, business leaders, retailers, and trade associations, including NATO. To secure the needed number of signatures for a referendum question to be placed on the ballot is a significant task, but one that needs to be taken to protect the right of retailers to sell lawful products and the right of legal age adults to purchase legal tobacco products. NATO stands with the industry in this effort to give the voters of San Francisco a voice in whether this flavor ban ordinance becomes law.
NATO Endorses Campaign to Repeal San Francisco’s Ordinance
This past week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, menthol, mint and wintergreen tobacco products, and flavored e-cigarette/vapor products. The ordinance was amended to go into effect in April, 2018, rather than on January 1, 2018. The ban affects every kind of retailer that is licensed to sell tobacco products in San Francisco. A significant industry-wide effort, including important advocacy contributions by NATO, was taken to oppose this total flavor ban ordinance.
With the passage of the San Francisco flavor ban ordinance, a new coalition called “Let’s Be Real San Francisco” has been formed to launch an effort to gather signatures from San Francisco voters to require the city’s Board of Supervisors to place a referendum question on an election ballot next year. If a sufficient number of signatures are obtained, the voters of San Francisco will have the final say on whether the flavor ban ordinance actually goes into effect.
The “Let’s Be Real San Francisco” coalition is comprised of concerned residents, business leaders, retailers, and trade associations, including NATO. To secure the needed number of signatures for a referendum question to be placed on the ballot is a significant task, but one that needs to be taken to protect the right of retailers to sell lawful products and the right of legal age adults to purchase legal tobacco products. NATO stands with the industry in this effort to give the voters of San Francisco a voice in whether this flavor ban ordinance becomes law.
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