The Maine Legislature has a bill before it to end the sale of flavored tobacco products.
LD 1215, submitted by Sen. Jill Duson, would potentially be the greatest opportunity to protect the health and safety of our kids from harmful, addictive products that are marketed directly toward their age group.
I’ve listened to some of the arguments from people opposed to this legislation on a local level, as five communities in Maine have passed local ordinances. None of the arguments have done anything to convince me that there is anything more important than keeping these products away from children.
It would be one thing if tobacco companies were being so blatantly obvious in marketing these products toward youth, hoping to get them hooked on an addiction that is extremely difficult for adults to quit, let alone children. But we cannot trust tobacco companies to act in good faith, so it is up to our government to step in and protect our kids.
I thank the communities that have already acted. Bangor, Bar Harbor, Brunswick, Portland and South Portland have shown great leadership by all passing local ordinances overwhelmingly. We should create an equal playing field not just for our kids, but for business owners to use the same rules.
State legislature should pass LD 1215 and end the sale of flavored tobacco statewide, so that our kids have a better chance at a life without being addicted to tobacco products.Donna Shields, Turner
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