MIssoula Flavored Vapor Ban Sent Back to Committee

The City of Missoula, Montana’s proposal to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products was sent back to committee for further review. The Missoula City Council made that decision Monday night after some legal questions arose.

The proposed ordinance would ban the sale of all menthol, candy and mint flavored tobacco, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarette products. Missoula took up the proposal after the state health department earlier this year offered and then pulled back a more limited state-wide proposal on banning flavored e-cigarette products.

Proponents of Missoula’s proposal say the products are designed to attract and ultimately hook young people on nicotine. But opponents say the ordinance would devastate local retailers, who point out they already only sell to adults over the age of 21, according to Montana Public Radio (MTPR).

Mirtha Becerra, a member of the city council’s Public Safety and Health Committee, said the committee will soon take a second look at the proposal. Becerra tells MTPR the committee has no intention of watering the proposal down into a resolution with no legal weight behind it.

“The reason behind sending it back to committee is to ensure that we reinforce the ordinance, clarify some definitions, make sure that our data is the most up to date, but keeping it true to the north star, if you will, of that ordinance, which is preventing youth from getting addicted to a life of nicotine problems.”

The committee will again discuss the proposal to ban flavored tobacco product sales in Missoula, next Wednesday, November 4.

A public hearing before the full city council would follow on Monday, November 09.