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Cook County Board ordinance on flavored e-cigarettes does not go far enough

Lung Association supports ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products  

CHICAGO, IL | May 25, 2023

The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a measure that prohibits the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in unincorporated Cook County.

The ordinance falls short of protecting communities that use other flavored tobacco products at disproportionately high rates by omitting many flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Kids are easily hooked on to flavored tobacco products. In suburban Cook County, 17% of 12th graders use any tobacco product while 7.5 % of adults smoke cigarettes. Allowing flavored tobacco products to remain on the market will lead to more people using those products, which could lead to increased addictions.

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Illinois, killing more than 18,000 residents each year; and 1.4 million Illinoisians live with lung diseases primarily caused by tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. While the focus on flavored e-cigarettes is important, Cook County needs a comprehensive policy to protect more communities, especially those who use menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products at disproportionately high rates.

The Lung Association looks forward to the opportunity to work with the Cook County Board of Commissioners to pass strong policies to further reduce tobacco use prevalence, prevent today’s youth from being the next generation of kids addicted to nicotine, and realize a tobacco-free future.  

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About the American Lung Association

The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, which has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Platinum-Level GuideStar Member, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. To support the work of the American Lung Association, find a local event at Lung.org/events.

For more information, contact:

James A. Martinez
(312) 445-2501
[email protected]

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