Doctors and parents declare candy flavored tobacco ‘epidemic’ in SF schools, vow to ‘smash JUUL’ and other candy flavored tobacco companies targeting kids

Declaration comes as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Corporation is spending nearly $12 million in an effort to attack Proposition E, which upholds San Francisco’s restriction on the sales of candy flavored tobacco products

San Francisco – Doctors and parents today declared a “candy flavored tobacco epidemic” in San Francisco and vowed to smash candy-flavored tobacco companies like SF-based JUUL that target kids with their addictive tobacco products.

Candy-flavored-tobacco-products-on-display-outside-SF-City-Hall-entrance-web-300x225, Doctors and parents declare candy flavored tobacco ‘epidemic’ in SF schools, vow to ‘smash JUUL’ and other candy flavored tobacco companies targeting kids, Local News & Views
During a rally to urge San Franciscans to vote Yes on Prop E, these candy-flavored products were on display outside City Hall. The packaging invites children to pick them up and the tobacco addicts them and can ultimately kill them long before their time. Vote Yes on E!

The declaration comes as JUUL – based in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood – faces national controversy due to the epidemic use of its high-tech nicotine addiction device by school children. Schools across the nation have reported a surge of youth nicotine addiction in schools driven by the popularity of JUUL and other candy flavored tobacco products.

“As has been the case historically, Big Tobacco is spending millions to distort the truth so they can target our kids with candy-flavored tobacco,” said Dr. Pamela Ling, professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. “We are dealing with a health epidemic. Our children are vaping candy flavored tobacco at alarming rates. We are here to CRUSH our SF-based JUUL company. We are here to crush them because they aide in the targeting and marketing to our children.”

“Companies like JUUL play a huge part in that addiction by creating products that lead to the intake of those products,” said Leslie Nicholson, a San Francisco parent. “I join San Francisco parents and doctors in taking on JUUL and Big Tobacco. As a parent, I started a support group so others can share in their experience with their kids who vape and smoke, so they can better deal with the situation and the emotional toll it takes. We don’t have to deal with this and we CAN protect our children.”

The controversy surrounding the explosion of candy flavored tobacco products comes as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Corp. has already poured nearly $12 million into a deceptive propaganda campaign against San Francisco’s Proposition E. Prop. E upholds the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ unanimously-passed restriction on the sale of candy flavored tobacco products and menthol.

Doctors and parents today declared a “candy flavored tobacco epidemic” in San Francisco and vowed to smash candy-flavored tobacco companies like SF-based JUUL that target kids with their addictive tobacco products.

As a result of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco’s spending, Prop. E is on track to become one of the most expensive ballot measures in San Francisco history. It’s also a David vs. Goliath battle; the Yes on E campaign has a budget of less than $1 million to protect children from Big Tobacco. Yes on E is supported by the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and other public interest health groups.

At a press conference at Mission High School, doctors and parents vowed to “smash” JUUL – an emerging leader in the tobacco addiction industry – and other candy flavored tobacco companies targeting children.

As smoking rates have declined, the tobacco industry is making a strategic shift to flavored tobacco products ingested through vaporizer devices. The strategy relies on the use of candy flavors and packaging – including gummy bear, cotton candy and chocolate – to lure young people into nicotine addiction. As a result, youth use of candy flavored nicotine is surging in schools across the country, generating national headlines.

Doctors and parents vowed to “smash” JUUL – an emerging leader in the tobacco addiction industry – and other candy flavored tobacco companies targeting children.

Tobacco companies argue that candy flavors are not as dangerous as smoking, but a recent study by UCSF found cancer-causing chemicals in the blood of teens who vape candy tobacco. Big Tobacco’s major surge of cash into San Francisco is a sign that the industry fears other cities will pass similar protections against candy flavored tobacco and threaten the future of the deadly tobacco industry.

San Francisco will vote on Proposition E on the June 5 ballot.

Learn more at https://sfkidsvsbigtobacco.com/.