Portland 2nd Major City in Maine to Ban Flavored Vapes
Credit: Ianm35
The Portland City Council in the U.S. state of Maine voted unanimously Monday night to ban flavored tobacco products come June.
On Monday night, city councilors unanimously approved a ban after hours of testimony. Among those who spoke were several tobacco retailers, who argued that the ban would hurt their business, while customers would simply travel to other towns to purchase flavored products.
The council said this ban is only a step in the right direction. This makes Portland the second Maine city to ban flavored tobacco products, following in the footsteps of the Bangor City Council. The Bangor ban takes effect on June 1. The town of Brunswick plans to consider a ban later this month.
Maine lawmakers are also looking at a potential statewide ban of flavored tobacco. A bill about the subject is expected to come up for a vote sometime this spring, according to the Associated Press.