By Delmonte Jefferson, Ruchi Kapoor, Carrie Nyssen and Audrey Miller García / For The Herald
It is time for the Washington state Legislature to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products to prevent another generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.
Nearly 10,000 Washington state kids will try cigarettes for the first time this year and thousands more will try e-cigarettes, also known as vapes or vape pens. Because tobacco companies strategically targeting kids with fruit and candy flavors and attractive packaging, nearly 90 percent of kids who use e-cigs are using flavored tobacco products. Sadly, many young people believe that because these products are fruit or mint flavored, they’re less dangerous than cigarettes.
In fact, some e-cigs can contain more nicotine than 200 cigarettes. One Elf Bar BC5000 rechargeable/disposable pod’s nicotine content is equivalent to 2.5 cartons of combustible commercial tobacco cigarettes. The average nicotine strength of these products has nearly tripled, and the average e-liquid capacity has increased five-fold. And just as troubling, more than 6,000 unregulated and illegal e-cigarettes are on the market today.
As cigarette sales continue to decline, the tobacco industry pivots to addict new lifelong customers, so they create new tobacco products such as nicotine pouches with “fun” flavors that specifically target kids. They also continue to target the Black, Latino, and LBGTQ+ communities more aggressively with marketing, point-of-sale deals, and cheaper prices to drive up profits.
Nearly 8 percent of Washington state high school students use e-cigarettes.
Now, with flavored products like cotton candy, fruity pebbles, grape and watermelon, it is easier than ever before to become addicted. Our youths have started using these products at younger and younger ages, with reports of kids as young as elementary school now vaping.
Of great concern, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that nicotine can have damaging effects on adolescent brain development, particularly the parts of the brain responsible for attention, learning, mood and impulse control. Our teachers, grandparents, parents, coaches and even your kids’ friends are witnessing these impacts every single day.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in our country; 44,470 Washingtonians will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 13,640 will die. Tobacco use is also responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths from cardiovascular disease.
While e-cigarettes are becoming the most popular product among students, other flavored tobacco products are also designed to appeal to youth, such as flavored tobacco pouches and little cigars. For decades, the tobacco industry has been using menthol cigarettes to addict generations of Black Americans, by masking the harsh taste of tobacco with a minty flavor. In 2023, more than 40 percent of middle and high school students who currently smoke cigarettes reported using menthol cigarettes. In 2020, more than 53 percent of young adults 18-25 years old who smoked reported using menthol cigarettes. To protect all kids, the sale of all flavored tobacco products should be prohibited.
The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and the Center for Black Health and Equity are calling for legislation to end the sale of these products. We urge legislators to take notice for the 2025 session, and we urge all parents, grandparents, school staff and students to join us in helping end the targeting of our kids with flavored tobacco products.
Delmonte Jefferson, executive director for Center for Black Health and Equity; Dr. Ruchi Kapoor with the American Heart Association; Carrie Nyssen, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association and Audrey Miller García, Washington government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
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