Referendum Seeking to Overturn Flavored Tobacco Ban Qualifies for 2022 Election

Late last week, the California Secretary of State’s Office announced a referendum seeking to overturn SB 793 (Hill) that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide. The law, which was signed into statute in late August 2020, was set to take effect at the beginning of this month. However, given that the referendum collected more than the required 623,212 signatures, the measure does not take effect until voters statewide have the opportunity to weigh in.

The referendum will be placed on the November 8, 2022, ballot, requiring a majority of voters to approve the 2020 state law before it can take effect. The referendum is sponsored by a coalition of retailers and tobacco industry representatives, including tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris USA.

Additional information on the referendum is available here.