As Anthony Gregory and I reported in previous blogs, the FDA has banned the sale of most flavored cigarettes. Not to be outdone, NYC has decided to go one step further and ban the sale of flavored cigars too.

Snuffing out cherry-flavored cigarillos and cookie dough laced cigars, the City Council banned the sale of flavored tobacco products Wednesday just weeks after the federal government took flavored cigarettes off of shelves nationwide.

Often found behind the counter in glitzy, fluorescent colored wrappers and sometimes near candy, these cigars, chewing tobaccos and cigarettes have been laced with child-friendly flavors to get kids addicted early, said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. City officials hope getting this type of tobacco product off shelves will keep kids from starting smoking.

To paraphrase a lyric from Oscar Hammerstein,* “The children, the children, we must protect the children…”

[Photo courtesy of Robert Emory]
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*From the song “Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?” (The King and I)