New Ban In Place

Ohio’s capital city can keep its ban on sales of flavored tobacco products, after Gov., DeWine vetoed a bill that would have put such regulation in the hands of the state instead of local communities. The measure, passed by the GOP-led Ohio Legislature in December, had said regulating tobacco and alternative nicotine products should be up to the state, not municipalities. It would have prevented communities from voting to restrict things like smoking, e-cigarettes and sales of flavored vaping products. The provision came before the state Senate just days after the city of Columbus announced it would prohibit sales of flavored tobacco products. The veto wasn’t a surprise from DeWine, who fought for regulation of tobacco products in his time as a U.S. senator, especially to protect children from becoming addicted to nicotine products.