Connecticut Governor Reiterates Need for Flavor Ban

When Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont pushed for Philip Morris to relocate its headquarters from New York City to Stamford last year, the move quickly drew rebuke from anti-tobacco activists. The activists said the move would be a test of the governor’s support for a ban on flavored vaping products in the state.

Now, just weeks away from the 2022 legislative session, Lamont said he’s committed to supporting a flavored vape ban but is not guaranteeing the proposal will be in his midterm budget plan, which is expected to be unveiled next month, according to CT Insider.

“I’m ready to go on that,” Lamont said Tuesday, asked about his support for the ban after an unrelated event in Bloomfield. “I think it was the right thing to do last time. I think we proposed it once or twice. This time I’d like to work with the legislature to see if they’ll step up. I’ll sign it.”

Last year’s effort fell apart in the 11th hour after a diluted version of the ban was stripped from the massive budget implementer bill at the request of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The group said at the time that the proposal was “riddled with major loopholes” and could have made Connecticut more subject to lawsuits from the vaping industry.