Colorado is one of the leaders in teen e-cigarette use. In Denver, one in five teens say they vape, and many kids falsely believe e-cigarettes and other tobacco products are safe.
It’s well known that there is a relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but did you know smoking is also linked to heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases? Almost one third of deaths from coronary heart disease are due to smoking and secondhand smoke.
Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the United States. And because of this, the American Heart Association (AHA) knows that stronger regulations with design, manufacturing, sales and marketing of all tobacco products are needed.
In Denver, the AHA is working with nearly one hundred organizations to combat the current youth vaping epidemic that our community is facing by pushing the Denver City Council to restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
The explosion of new flavors and tobacco products over the past few years created a youth tobacco use epidemic that must be stopped. We know menthol and candy flavored tobacco products are a key strategy to hook kids on nicotine and create a lifetime of addiction. It’s also known that tobacco companies and retailers have historically targeted youth and new users with attractive flavors that appeal to kids and mask the harsh taste of tobacco. Kid-friendly flavors like menthol, gummy bear, blueberry muffin, and churros are hooking a new generation of tobacco users who are not even aware these products contain high levels of nicotine, which is especially dangerous for young brains still in development.
Big Tobacco’s shameful record includes targeting youth and adults in communities of color and underserved populations with menthol products, resulting in the disproportionately higher use rates by minority smokers. African American suffer the greatest burden of tobacco-related death of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Nearly 45,000 African Americans die annually from a smoking-caused illness. Menthol flavored tobacco products are a big driver for these disparities.
We need your help today to make sure the Denver City Council puts the health of Denver kids ahead of tobacco retailers’ profits. Please take one minute to send an email to the Denver City Council letting them know you support ending the sale of flavored tobacco products. Denver’s kids are counting on us.
Visit https://act.yourethecure.org/LKuBeQR to ensure your voice is heard.