On Tuesday, Denver voters passed Proposition 310 to uphold an ordinance ending the sale of menthol cigarettes and most other flavored tobacco products, including but not limited to cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes. The Denver City Council passed the legislation in December 2024. As part of the Denver Kids vs Big Tobacco coalition, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) supported a YES vote on Proposition 310 to help reduce tobacco use and improve health equity.
The following is a statement from R.J. Ours, ACS CAN Colorado government relations director:
“Denver voters have claimed a decisive victory over Big Tobacco by putting an end to one of its most depraved practices: using menthol and other candy- and fruit-flavored tobacco products to lure kids into a potential lifetime of addiction.
“Research shows that flavors drive youth tobacco use, with 81% of kids who have ever tried tobacco starting with a flavored product. It is clear that to achieve a tobacco-free generation, we must take flavored tobacco products off the market.
“Big Tobacco has a long history of using menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products to target people with limited incomes, communities of color and LGBTQ+ communities, which has led to undue health disparities.
“With their vote, Denverites showed they will not allow Big Tobacco to keep profiting at the expense of our health and our kids’ futures.
“ACS CAN volunteers will continue to work with local, state and federal lawmakers to pass policies that reduce tobacco use, and as a result, decrease tobacco-related diseases like cancer.”