Hochul Attempts to Gain Consensus on Ban of All Tobacco Products in New Survey

Edited by: TJVNews.com

While it is common knowledge the use of all tobacco products represents health threats, in America people have the right to choose whether to buy and consume these products or not.

In an exclusive report in the New York Post, it appears that the pro-legal weed Hochul administration is quietly trying to fire up support for a complete ban on the sale of tobacco products in New York.

For her part, Hochul has been unsuccessful in finding the requisite support from legislators to include a ban on menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products in the yet-to-be-approved state budget. Studies have indicated that flavored tobacco used in vaping and menthol cigarettes contain added dangers for smokers.

In order to gain consensus for the tobacco ban, the New York State Health Department commissioned a new survey to discover how much support or lack of support an all-out prohibition of tobacco would have, the Post reported.

The survey, conducted by nonprofit research organization RTI International, was distributed to “community leaders” statewide, including “county legislators and county directors of public health,” according to an April 13 memo to prospective participants from Jennifer Lee, director of the Health Department’s Bureau of Tobacco Control, the Post reported.

“What is your opinion about a policy that would end the sale of all tobacco products in New York within 10 years?” were among the questions asked last week in the “New York Local Opinion Leaders Survey,” examined by the Post.

Another asks: “What is your opinion about a policy that would ban the sale of all tobacco products to those born after a certain date? For example, those born after the year 2010 or later would never be sold tobacco.”

The poll also solicited input on whether there’s backing for other tobacco-related measures, including capping the number of retailers who can sell “products in a community” and prohibiting its sales near schools, the Post reported.

An insider who is familiar with Albany politics, told the Post that it’s obvious that the Health Department is “test marketing” potential new smoking policies and such surveys are typically funded by taxpayers but through private companies, think tanks, or political campaigns.

The unnamed insider also told the Post that “an outright ban being considered … is all new territory.” And I’ve never seen anything like this where the state uses this kind of focus grouping, alliance building, momentum building.”

Also speaking to the Post was Kent Sopris, the president of the New York Association of Convenience Store Owners. He opined that a ban would put many stores out of business but wouldn’t stop tobacco use because smokers would just buy cigarettes out of state, online, or illegally on the black market.

“I think it would be bizarre for the state to create another category of illegal product that could lead to more conflict between law enforcement and the community,” he told the Post.

Sopris also told the Post that he believed that Hochul was acting in a disingenuous manner when she launched a public awareness campaign last week that encouraged New Yorkers to buy regulated marijuana products at legalized cannabis dispensaries, considering the thousands of illegal pot shops that have opened for business since recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2021.

With palpable anger in his voice, Sopris also told the Post, “If you are out there advocating for the expanded sale of retail cannabis that sells candied flavored options, how can you tell regulated legal convenience stores they can’t sell menthol cigarettes to adults?”

Sopris also said that flavored tobacco products — including menthols — make up about 40% of all legal tobacco sales in New York.