The Columbus City Council in the U.S. state of Ohio on Monday unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance that will ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products in the state’s most populated city.
The ban is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, giving retailers just over a year to clear out existing inventory. The ban covers nearly all flavored tobacco and vaping products, including those with menthol, mint and wintergreen flavors. The ban does not apply to the sale of flavored shisha tobacco, however.
While the ordinance makes it illegal to sell flavored tobacco products, it does not make it illegal to use such products. The legislation does not include criminal penalties on users, but does impose civil penalties on sellers.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to stop California from enforcing its ban on the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes.
Columbus is home to approximately 906,000 people.