WASHINGTON, DC – DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has signed a bill that ends the sale of some flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and e-cigarettes. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Washington, DC Government Relations Director Jocelyn Collins released the following statement:
“By signing this bill Mayor Bowser is sending a loud and clear message that the health of all DC residents must be protected. The tobacco industry has aggressively targeted the District’s Black communities with menthol cigarettes for decades. Now, we are seeing Big Tobacco relentlessly target our youth with other flavored tobacco products.
“Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death and more than 800 District residents die each year due to tobacco related illnesses.
“Mayor Bowser’s action is significant, but we need to take a comprehensive approach in ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including hookah. A selective flavored tobacco sales restriction that allows access to these products can entrench existing health disparities and increase the health harms borne by these communities.
“We emphasize our thanks to Mayor Bowser for signing this legislation. We call on Congress to move this legislation swiftly through the Congressional review process and for the DC Council to finish the job they started by funding this life-saving law.”
About ACS CAN at 20
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) makes cancer a top priority for policymakers at every level of government. ACS CAN empowers volunteers across the country to make their voices heard to influence evidence-based public policy change that saves lives. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, find, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and made workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smoke-free. As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re more determined than ever to stand together with our volunteers and save more lives from cancer. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.