HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-068RESOLUTION NO. 11-068
A RESOLUTION URGING TOBACCO RETAILERS TO STOP THE SALE
AND MARKETING OF FLAVORED TOBACCO IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY,
FLORIDA
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, has made the
following determinations:
1. Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, and
almost 90 percent of tobacco users started before they were 18 years old.
Research from the Harvard School of Public Health found that tobacco manufacturers are
targeting youth with flavored products that mask the harsh and toxic properties found in
tobacco smoke and spit residue.
3. Studies indicate that St. Lucie County youth have increased their use of smokeless tobacco
products at a significantly high rate since 2008, often times using products which contain
flavoring characteristics.
4. Tobacco manufacturers are banned from directly or indirectly targeting youth in
advertising, marketingand promotion oftobacco products aimed at initiating, maintaining
or increasing youth use of tobacco in accordance with the 1998 Master Settlement
Agreement.
5. Internal tobacco industry documents strongly suggest that manufacturers intentionally
target youth through the various flavors in tobacco products and their marketing.
6. Tobacco companies use youth-oriented colorful and stylish packaging, and exploit
adolescents' attraction to flavors such as Green Apple, Cherry, Root Beer, French Vanilla,
Grape, Mango, Peach and numerous other flavors identified in retail outlets in Polk
County.
7. National studies have found that the vast majority of people who are usingthese flavored
tobacco products are youth and young adults.
8. Research by the Students Working Against Tobacco youth and the Tobacco-Free
Partnership of St. Lucie County found that the majority of tobacco retailers surveyed in
St. Lucie County sell flavored tobacco products of various kinds.
9. Flavored tobacco products are defined as loose tobacco, snuff flour, plug and twist
tobacco, fine cuts, long cuts, chewing tobaccos, dissolvable tobaccos, snus, shisha
tobaccos, cigarettes, cigarillo, cigars, other smoking and snuffing products, and all other
forms of tobacco products, that contain any product or additive, either artificial or natural,
that is designed to be a characterizing flavor of either the tobacco product or the
byproduct it produces.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie
County, Florida:
1. This Board does hereby urge all local retailers who sell tobacco products where youth
have access to their store or products to cease the sale and marketing of all flavored
tobacco products, in order to reduce the exposure and use of tobacco products to St.
Lucie County youth.
PASSED AND DULY ADOP~,EQ t~,i,~5t" day of April, 2011.
ATTEST:
Deputy Clerk
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BY:
County Attorn