As expected (at least by me) the Supreme Court refused to consider RJR and other tobacco companies’ argument that California’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products was illegal. The law will take effect December 21, 2022.
The actual order is above.
The California Department of Public Health has done a great job of educating the public about the dangers of flavored tobacco products through its Flavors Hook Kids campaign. That effort will now support statewide implementation and enforcement of the law. San Francisco, the first city to do a comprehensive ban, also has excellent materials for merchant education that has supported effective implementation of the local law.
Hopefully, this case will settle the issue nationally and speed the way for more cities and states to adopt comprehensive bans on the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol.
Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products — not promoting new products like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products — is the real harm reduction.
Here is a good NY Times story on the ruling and the legal fights over the law.
Stanton Glantz blog 