Voters in Denver, Colorado, on Tuesday upheld the city’s ordinance ending the sale of flavored tobacco products, including flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
Referendum 310, the ballot measure to uphold the law, will ban the sale of flavored tobacco products within city limits. The Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the city agency charged with enforcing the ban on flavored tobacco products, told CSP Daily News that plans to begin enforcing Denver’s flavored tobacco ban will begin in January.
Critics of the ban include Mary Szarmach, senior vice president of governmental and external affairs for Boulder, Colorado-based Smoker Friendly, which operates a mix of tobacco and convenience stores, including locations in Denver.
“We were very disappointed in ballot initiative 310 being upheld in Denver,” Szarmach told CSP Daily News. “We own and operate six stores in the city of Denver and based on other towns where partial or full flavor bans have passed, we have lost up to 50% of our volume.”
The referendum attracted attention outside the city limits, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who contributed millions to uphold the ban, according to city records.
Szarmach said that “we spent a lot of time and money trying to protect our Denver locations, but with [Campaign] Tobacco-Free Kids spending over $600,000 and Bloomberg throwing in another $5 million, it was quite an uphill battle.”
Proponents of the passage of Proposition 310 include the American Heart Association, Dallas. The association issued a statement Wednesday saying Denver voters took a “bold step to protect youth, support those struggling with nicotine addiction and improve public health.”
In December, Denver City Council voted 11-1 to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston signed the ban into law in Dec. 18, 2024. Opponents worked to overturn the decision through the referendum that was on Tuesday’s ballot.
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