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…
Read More »California State Auditor Elaine Howle this week released an audit report entitled, “Proposition 56 Tobacco Tax: State Agencies’ Weak Administration Reduced Revenue by Millions of Dollars and Led to the Improper Use and Inadequate Disclosure of Funds.” Auditor Howle determined that the Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) did not ensure the accuracy of…
Read More »Yesterday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), released a report finding that current tobacco product use declined among U.S. middle and high school students from 2019 to 2020, largely driven by decreases in e-cigarette, cigar, and smokeless tobacco use. However, the National…
Read More »Last week, a coalition consisting of retailers and tobacco industry representatives, including tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris USA, submitted over one million signatures from California voters in an attempt to overturn SB 793 (Hill) that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide. Recall, the coalition initially filed referendum paperwork to overturn…
Read More »On Thursday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California defending SB 793 by Senator Jerry Hill which banned the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide. Recall, SB 793 was nearly immediately signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in late August. Following its…
Read More »Recently, tobacco company giants R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Philip Morris USA sued the State of California in an attempt to block SB 793 from going into effect. SB 793 by Senator Jerry Hill would prohibit the sales of specified flavored tobacco products statewide. The measure was passed by the Legislature and signed into law…
Read More »Just days after receiving final legislative approval and being signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, California’s flavored tobacco ban faces yet another challenge by the tobacco industry. SB 793 by Senator Jerry Hill bans the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide, including mint and menthol products. The measure faced significant opposition from the tobacco…
Read More »On Monday, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued ten warning letters to manufacturers and retailers who sell, manufacture, and/or import unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products targeted to youth or likely to promote use by youth. The warning letters targeted unauthorized products, including backpacks and sweatshirts designed with stealth pockets to hold…
Read More »The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) published a report this week exploring the taxation of electronic cigarettes as proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom’s FY 2020-21 Budget. The report details the current taxes levied on electronic cigarette products, analyzes the Governor’s proposal, and poses several areas for consideration by the Legislature as its budget subcommittees begin their…
Read More »The American Lung Association recently published its 18th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, evaluating states and the federal government on proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies. According to the American Lung Association, the report serves as a blueprint for what state and federal leaders need to do to eliminate death and disease caused by…
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