Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address and wasted no time in setting her sights on heat-not-burn and other flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. The state already prohibits the sale of flavored vaping products.
New York’s new full-term governor outlined some tobacco policy changes she would like enacted, including both a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products and a $1 per pack increase in combustible cigarette taxes from $4.35 to $5.35.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, one of the most prominent anti-tobacco groups in the world, which is supported by former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, praised Hochul’s plans. Any changes to New York tobacco laws would first need to be passed by the state’s legislature.
“These actions are projected to reduce the number of young people smoking cigarettes by 9 percent, prevent 22,000 youths from becoming adult smokers and prevent premature deaths caused by smoking,” Hochul’s office wrote in the State of the State booklet.
California and Massachusetts are the only states with bans on the sale of flavored tobacco products,