.jpg&width=780&altimage=media/11885282/blank.jpg "Yummy gum, lemon twist, butterscotch and cinnamon roll are just a few of the flavors on the shelf at Twisted Smoke Shop in East Sacramento.")
Sacramento is the latest California location to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, with the passage of a new ordinance by the City Council on Tuesday.
Starting Jan. 1, it will be illegal to sell flavored tobacco products within city limits. The local-level action precedes efforts by four Democratic senators for a statewide ban.
Jim Knox with the American Cancer Society says his organization supports banning the products statewide.
"The surge in the use of e-cigarettes has all but erased decades of progress in reducing tobacco use among teens,” he said. “The CDC is calling this a public health epidemic and it really requires immediate action."
Ryan Hanretty with California Fuels and Convenience Alliance, representing small retail outlets that sell flavored tobacco products, says a ban based on geography doesn't work in today's modern world.
"The internet is kind of the sole-source problem for the proliferation and access without age verification of these e-cigarettes and vape products,” he said.
The bill for a statewide ban has already passed the Senate Health Committee and is scheduled to be heard by the Appropriations Committee on Monday.
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