In a sweeping move aimed at curbing youth nicotine use, the Denver City Council voted 11-1 on Dec. 17 to ban the retail sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products within city limits. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has said he will sign the measure.
The ban targets a wide array of products, including menthol cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, and other flavored nicotine items. While six other Colorado cities and municipalities including Edgewater, Glenwood Springs, and Golden1 have passed bans on flavored tobacco products, Denver is by far the largest. Retailers that sell the flavored products must comply about 90 days post mayoral signature, marking a significant shift in local commercial tobacco regulations.
The new law will prohibit the sale of any flavored nicotine product designed to mask the harshness of tobacco, from fruity e-liquids to menthol cigarettes. These flavors make the products especially appealing to youth. Four out of five youth who use tobacco or nicotine say they started with a flavored nicotine product.2
Exemptions to the new law include limited hookah products, which may continue to be sold, and flavored smoking-cessation products approved by the FDA. Retailers caught violating the ban will face escalating fines or even license revocation.
Advocates for the measure highlighted the appeal of flavored products to young people, pointing to research showing a direct link between these products and youth nicotine addiction, which can establish patterns of dependency that often persist well into adulthood. They also emphasized the importance of countering industry marketing and promotional practices that disproportionately target marginalized communities, including youth from low-income and minority backgrounds, with these products. Council members noted that Denver joins a growing list of cities across the country implementing similar bans, reflecting a nationwide trend.
With Denver’s flavor ban in place, community members, public health officials, and retailers will be watching closely to gauge its impact. Whether this move inspires other Colorado cities or sparks debate on wider restrictions remains to be seen.
Stay tuned as this story develops.