RESOLUTION NO. C —
URGING BAN ON SALE AND MARKETING OF FLAVORED CIGARETTES IN NEW YORK STATE

Passed by the Tompkins County Legislature, December 20, 2005 
Read highlights of the meeting at the Tompkins County web site

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WHEREAS, tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, and 90 percent of adult smokers started smoking before they were 18 years old, and

WHEREAS, each day, more than 4,000 young people try smoking for the first time, and another 2,000 youth become regular daily smokers, and

WHEREAS, the Surgeon General has concluded that tobacco advertising greatly contributes to youth smoking rates, and

WHEREAS, an estimated one third of adolescent experimentation with smoking can be directly attributed to tobacco advertising and promotional activities, and

WHEREAS, the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached in 1998 between state Attorneys General and major tobacco companies forbids cigarette manufacturers from directly or indirectly targeting youth in advertising, marketing and promotion of tobacco products aimed at initiating, maintaining or increasing youth smoking, and

WHEREAS, internal tobacco industry documents strongly suggest that manufacturers intentionally targeted youth through use of candy-like flavors in cigarettes, and

WHEREAS, research from the Harvard School of Public Health (published November 2005) found that cigarette makers are targeting young smokers with new candy- and liqueur-flavored brands that mask the harsh and toxic properties found in tobacco smoke. Tobacco companies use youth-oriented colorful and stylish packaging, and exploit adolescents’ attraction to candy flavors with names such as “Mandarin Mint”, “Winter Warm Toffee” and “Twista Chill”, and

WHEREAS, Tompkins County supports a safe environment in which our youth can grow and prosper, free from the influences of tobacco industry marketing and from addiction to tobacco, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Health and Human Services Committee, That the Tompkins County Legislature urges re-introduction and passage of proposed bills in the New York State Legislature (A.03983 and S.01952) prohibiting the sale and marketing of flavored cigarettes,

RESOLVED, further, That copies of this resolution be sent to Governor George Pataki, Senators Seward, Nozzolio and Winner, and Assemblyperson Lifton.