Novato Moves To Ban Menthol Cigs

NOVATO, CA — Joining a nationwide trend, the city of Novato has become the latest municipality to advance a menthol cigarette ban.

The City Council on Sept. 28 voted unanimously to consider the menthol ban at a future date.

The ban would be an amendment to an existing ordinance that bans flavored tobacco products but exempts menthols.

The 5-0 vote followed a presentation from a county analyst and lengthy public comments.

San Jose last week become the nation’s largest city to ban all flavored tobacco products including menthol products.

The FDA earlier this year announced plans to ban menthol cigarettes.

The agency has argued that menthol cigarettes produce a milder smoke than unflavored tobacco products play “an outsized role in hooking young people on smoking,” STAT News reports.

A national menthol ban would save an estimated 650,000 lives by 2060, according to a recent study published in the journal Tobacco Control.

Should Novato enact the ban, it would be Marin’s last municipality to do so, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

Novato Mayor Pat Eklund touted the city’s leadership in pushing back against Big Tobacco that goes back to the mid1990s.

Novato in 2008 became one of the nation’s first cities to enact a smoking ordinance, and in 2017 updated the ordinance to include a ban on flavored cigarettes and developed a licensing program.

“Novato has take the lead from the very beginning,” Eklund said.

“We need to protect our health and not only people who use these products, but second-hand smoke.”

Eklund said her cousin died at 55 from a tobacco-related illness after repeated exposure to second-half smoke.

“This is a decision for the greater good on behalf of our entire community,” Councilmember Eric Lucan said.

“I’m excited to support this and I really appreciate all the efforts that Novato has made over the many years to make sure we keep our community safe.”

Read more in The Marin Independent Journal