PHOTOS: Advocates Deliver 15K Petitions to NYC Council, Calling for Flavored Tobacco Restrictions

NEW YORK, NY (11/14/2019) (readMedia)-- Today, elected officials, parents, advocates, and an activist dressed as Mr. Butts -- a cartoon character representing the Tobacco industry -- gathered at City Hall to deliver more than 15,000 petitions to the City Council from New Yorkers in support of two pieces of legislation that would restrict the sale of flavored tobacco in New York City, including menthol cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes.

Before the City Council's stated meeting, Mr. Butts greeted Council Members and staff as they entered City Hall with information on the dangers of flavored tobacco.

"With each day that passes, countless children in our city get addicted to nicotine because of flavored tobacco products," said Andre M. Richardson, Campaign Manager of Flavors Hook Kids NYC. "The only way to guarantee New York's kids are protected from Big Tobacco and a lifetime of addiction is by passing legislation to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products, permanently."

There are two pieces of legislation in the City Council, Intros 1345 and 1362, which would restrict the sale of menthol cigarettes and ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. More than two-thirds of the City Council support legislation to restrict the sale of menthol cigarettes. Nearly as many members support legislation that will ban flavored e-cigarettes. More than 100 organizations now support the legislation, as well as city leaders such as former Mayor David Dinkins and NAACP New York Chapter President Hazel Dukes and Congressman Meeks.

In New York, the state Department of Health issued a warning about e-cigarette use, citing multiple cases of "severe pulmonary disease" among patients "who reported recent use of vape products." Governor Cuomo issued a temporary emergency regulation that would ban all flavored e-cigarettes, including menthol--but it was recently slowed down by a State Court.

New FDA survey data show youth use of e-cigarettes skyrocketed 135% in the last two years, and that 5 million middle and high school students nationwide now use e-cigarettes. Last month, the Department of Health released data that shows 1-in-15 NYC middle school students reported using e-cigarettes and 14.4% of middle school students (about 29,000 students) had tried e-cigarettes.

Big Tobacco has also aggressively marketed flavored tobacco products to underage users for decades to hook new generations of smokers--particularly in communities of color, where menthol cigarettes are sold to young people, creating disproportionately negative health outcomes for African Americans.

Flavors Hook Kids NYC -- a coalition of more than 100 health, religious, parent and community organizations -- is in an all-out effort to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products in New York City, including e-cigarette flavors and menthol cigarettes, before 2020.

Recently, former Mayor David N. Dinkins, Congressmember Gregory Meeks, and First Lady McCray announced their support for the campaign, each citing that African-American communities have been targeted by big tobacco for decades.

Members of the growing coalition are: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, NY NAACP, Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes (PAVe), African American Clergy and Elected Official organization (AACEO), American Cancer Society Action Network (ACS CAN), New York Communities for Change, American Cancer Society Action Network, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council NAATPN, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Neighbors in Action, Last Call Church, United Concerned Citizens, NYPIRG, Bishop Courtenay of Emmanuel Church of God in Brooklyn, Arthur Ashe Institute Public Health, among others. The list is in formation.

"'When our youth are intentionally targeted for extermination, various tools become weapons. Flavored e cigarettes are one of those tools and our responsibility to the future and our youth is to dismantle this ferocious economic monster designed to harm young people. We will not rest until flavored E cigarettes are off the shelves and with 15,000 petitions in tow, we expect that our City's legislative body will back us up," said Shanequa Charles, Executive Director of Miss Abbie's Kids.

"While smoking rates are now at historic lows –smoking still accounts for about 30% of all cancer deaths. This includes about 80% of the nearly 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually in New York City," said Michael Davoli, director of government relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). "We must do all that we can to reduce tobacco use if we are going to prevent more lives from being lost to cancer - we can't wait. The City Council must restrict the sale of menthol cigarettes and ban flavored e-cigarettes immediately."

"Now is the time to act -- our children's future is at stake. The ball is the New York City Council's court. Let's give the people what they want and deserve: pass these two life saving bills," Chris Branks, Executive Director of East New York Concerned Citizen.

"This is a danger to society for our youth & everyday New Yorkers .We are demanding that the City council pass this bill immediately. We can't not be silent on this issues when folks are dying right before our eyes," said Rev. Kevin McCall ,Social Justice Preacher.