AgdaPkt 2020-03-09 Joint - Laserfiche WebLink

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IK CancerAction March 9, 2020Network^ The Honorable Diane Howard P my Members of the Redwood City City Council 1017 Middlefield Rd Redwood City, CA 94063 Dear Mayor Howard and Members of the Redwood City City Council: We are deeply concerned about the epidemic of teenage e -cigarette use fueled by the availability of flavored tobacco products. By moving this issue forward through tonight's study session, you have made it clear that you are concerned, too. The consensus of the public health community is that it is flavors that are driving the epidemic of e -cigarette use among teenagers and the best way to address that epidemic is to remove flavors from retail tobacco sellers. We are writing today to urge you to address this issue of youth tobacco use through a comprehensive tobacco control policy that would prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored hookah and little cigars from all stores in Redwood City with no exemptions. This provision functions best under the umbrella of a tobacco retailer license as a self-sustaining mechanism of enforcement, and we applaud your foresight to already have this in place in your city. Comprehensive tobacco control policies are a proven strategy to help reduce youth access to tobacco products, which can help protect kids from a lifetime addiction to a deadly product. Provisions that would lead to an ineffective ordinance would include: • Banning all e -cigarettes, while leaving other flavored tobacco products on the shelves • Exemptions for some types of flavored tobacco products like menthol cigarettes • Exemptions for adult only stores • Flavor restrictions without a tobacco retailer license • Criminalization of possession of tobacco products for those under 21 years of age. The epidemic of e -cigarette use is alarming, but e -cigarettes are not the only flavored product being used by youth. Flavors are driving the epidemic of teenage e -cigarette use. Prohibiting the sale of some types of flavored tobacco products while leaving menthol cigarettes or other flavored products available in your community means that flavored products will still find their way into the hands of youth. The long-term health consequences of e -cigarette use are just now emerging. However, the health impacts of other forms of tobacco have long been known, and policies that could push young people from one tobacco product to another should be avoided. We encourage you to prioritize the strongest possible ordinance—one that ends the sale of all flavored tobacco products --to help protect all youth in your jurisdiction. The CDC reports that 70% of students who use tobacco use a flavored product, and 2 of 5 high school students are using more than one type of tobacco product. Prohibiting the sale of some types of flavored tobacco products while leaving menthol cigarettes or other flavored products available in your community means that flavored products will still find their way into the hands of youth. The long-term health consequences of e -cigarette use are just now emerging while the health impacts of other forms of tobacco have long been known. Policies that could push young people from one tobacco product to