Parents to Trick or Treat with Flavored Tobacco at Moya's District Office

Coalition of more than 100 organizations to call on councilmembers to sign onto legislation to protect kids from e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes

QUEENS, NY (10/30/2019) (readMedia)-- On Thursday, parents, and advocates in costume as Big Tobacco will trick or treat at Council Member Francisco Moya's district office to demand he protect children from the dangers of flavored tobacco.

Council Member Moya has not yet signed on to pending legislation that would restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes in the city. The bills are supported by a coalition of more than 100 local and national organizations and leaders - called Flavors Hook Kids NYC - including the NAACP, former Mayor David Dinkins, the American Lung Association and others.

Big Tobacco has aggressively marketed flavored tobacco products to young people for decades to hook new generations of smokers--particularly in communities of color, where use of menthol cigarettes have led to disproportionately negative health outcomes for African Americans. More than 80% of kids who have used tobacco started with a flavored product like menthol, bubblegum or cotton candy.

In the past few months, at least 450 people across the country were hospitalized for vaping-related illnesses, and at least 26 people have died.

WHO:

Andre M. Richardson, Campaign Manager for the Flavors Hook Kids NYC Campaign

Parents from PAVE

WHAT:

  Parents Trick or Treat with flavored tobacco at Moya’s district office

WHEN: Thursday October 31, 2019 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Outside CM Moya’s District Office
106-01 Corona Ave,
Queens, New York 11368