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Dear Editor,

I want to remind people that starting June 1^st, 2020, flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes like Kools and Newports will no longer be sold in Massachusetts. Last Fall, the Fight All Flavors campaign and many supporting partners worked to build grassroots understanding of and support for a proposed flavored tobacco restriction with an explicit focus on building youth leadership and calling out the tobacco and nicotine industry’s targeting of menthol in communities of color.

The tobacco and vaping industries have targeted youth, LGBTQ populations and communities of color with their deadly products, causing many health consequences for these populations specifically. Flavors, like mint and menthol, are a leading reason that young people start vaping and using tobacco.

The law, which goes into effect on June 1, 2020, means that:

• Menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products like flavored cigars, flavored chewing tobacco, and flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products will no longer be widely available in Massachusetts.
• E-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products will increase in price.

I’m excited to see that No Menthol. Know Why. is an extension of that work; they’re working with community-based organizations, youth advocates, public health and health care partners, local health departments, churches, regional Tobacco-Free Community Partnership programs, and more to reach out to and support the communities most impacted by the new law. They want to build awareness about the law and provide information about the resources available to help people quit smoking.

You can help spread the word in your community. Visit NoMentholKnowWhy.org to learn more, to share your menthol story and to find tools and resource to share.

For information about how the law will be enforced visit mass.gov/NewTobaccoLaw.

Help for those who want to quit vaping, smoking or using other tobacco products is available for FREE at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) and KeepTryingMA.org.

Contact Edgar Duran Elmudesi at the Metro Boston Tobacco-Free Community Partnership, eduran@hria.org or 617-451-0049 x549 to learn more about the law, how you can support people in quitting and to find out how you can partner with us.

Edgar Duran Elmudesi
Metro Boston Tobacco-Free Community Partnership
Health Resources in Action