Advocates and lawmakers in Bridgeport, Connecticut, want the state to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products. Nearby states have already done so.
State Senator Mary Daugherty Abrams co-chairs the state Public Health Committee. She is concerned that young people will drive to Connecticut from states that have banned flavored tobacco products like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island.
She sponsored a bill that would protect children across Connecticut from being lured into tobacco use through flavored products.
A recent national survey found that over 3.5 million youths are still using e-cigarettes. Over 80% of youths who started using tobacco began with a flavored product.
Advocates from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Bridgeport NAACP said flavored tobacco products are dangerous to the health of young people and lead to addiction, especially in communities of color.
