Policy

Flavored Tobacco Products

MACHO supports the prohibition of the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Maryland.

Rep. Dereck Davis of Prince George's County introduced House Bill 3 to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Maryland, including menthol cigarettes, small, flavored cigars, and vape products.

Prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, small, flavored cigars, and vape products will substantially decrease health disparities among Maryland’s African-American population, which has been targeted by the tobacco industry for decades with menthol products, and will immediately begin to reverse the proliferation of teen vaping and nicotine addiction.
In addition, prohibiting flavored tobacco products will reduce health insurance costs for small and large businesses, lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid savings over coming years, and help pave the way to a healthier and more productive workforce in Maryland.

MACHO supports this bill because it is the most powerful step possible to reverse the recent wave of nicotine addiction. Read more about why MACHO supports HB3, and how flavored tobacco products increase the risk of smoking for high school students.

Learn more about the risks posed by flavored tobacco products and how organizations in Maryland are taking action to protect kids, as part of the Flavors Hook Kids Maryland campaign.