New regulations on flavored tobacco products could be coming to Santa Cruz

The City council unanimously voted on Tuesday to look into the cities policies surrounding flavored tobacco products.

This comes the same day the state’s public health department launched their “Flavor Hooks Kids” campaign.

Vice Mayor, Martine Watkins, works in education outside of working with the city. She says bringing this item to the agenda was an easy choice, “Knowing that we as a city can take action in policy that is going to prevent and ensure the public health of our youth and our Most vulnerable populations who are most targeted by the tobacco industry, it was for me very easy to bring an item like this forward to our council.”

The city will start looking into where these flavored products are being sold and if policies need to be changed. This could lead to limitations or a ban on flavored products.

The county’s public health department has been working closely with the city to share their studies on issues with flavored tobacco. Santa Cruz County’s Tobacco Project Program Director Andrea Solano says, “one of the biggest concerns for the public health community is that they mask the harshness of tobacco products and so they taste good, they smell good, but they still contain nicotine and a lot of the products aren’t regulated and so even though they say it doesn’t contain nicotine, really there’s no way to be sure.”

With products like bubble-gum, cotton candy, grape and watermelon, Solano says it’s easy for kids to think about the flavors rather than the harm. According to the California Department of Public Health 80% of young people who use tobacco, started with a flavored product.

Solano says with all of the new devices it’s also important to bring attention to what’s being sold, “these new devices are really, they don’t look like our traditional cigarette that we are used to, and they don’t produce smoke it’s a vapor that is easily hidden and it doesn’t smell like tobacco, so one of the main goals is increasing awareness especially among parents so that we can better monitor the youth and young adults and prevent a whole new generation of folks who are addicted to tobacco.”

Some Santa Cruz county resident’s KION spoke with say they think a ban or limitations would be a good idea, “It seems like it would be more appealing to the younger generation which is horrible, so I think it would be a really good idea. Kids would appeal to the flavors and just go for the flavors and not know what tobacco would do to them.” say Daniel and Stephanie Ruvalcaba.

Niklas Yoho agrees, he says he knows from experience. “I Started smoking when I was young, I was 13. I recently quit, but that was because of menthol cigarettes, so I think flavored cigarettes are bad idea in general. I also have three younger brothers so I wouldn’t want that to happen to them,” says Yoho.

On the other hand some say as long as the buyer is of legal age, it shouldn’t matter what is sold. “My feeling is if you’re over 21 you should be allowed to buy flavored tobacco if that’s your choice, I think everyone has the right to choose,” says Stephannie Head.

Mayor David Terrazas was one of the co-signers on the item. He says as a city leader and parent he wants to make sure the city is doing everything they can to keep kids safe, “