Watsonville passes ban on flavored tobacco products

The Watsonville City Council has unanimously passed a ban of all flavored tobacco products and the sale of e-cigarettes until they are approved by the FDA. The sale of tobacco products in pharmacies is also banned.

The new ban will go into effect on Nov. 23. According to the Santa Cruz County Tobacco Education Coalition, more than two dozen people- including students, parents and health advocates- shared their support for the ban at the City Council meeting. The coalition said high school students talked about the pressure to vape and the toll they see it taking on friends and siblings.

“This is a great example of the community coming together to stand up to a corporate threat,” said Santa Cruz County Tobacco Education Coalition co-chair, Rachel Kippen. “The alarming rise of youth vaping has been fueled by candy- and fruit-flavored products. The residents of Watsonville clearly said that our children’s health is not for sale.”

The city and county of Santa Cruz and the city of Capitola have also banned the sale of flavored tobacco products, and that ban begins on Jan. 1, 2020.