They've already banned menthol in California and it did nothing. Alternatives are already being marketed and sold and some of the better ones recreate the exact same effect but cost $1.20 more per pack at the low end. To put it simply, this is dumb as fuck.
The point is to make cigarettes as expensive and unappealing as possible.
That's not in anyone's own interests. Smokers have to pay more, tobacco industry gets more money. Literally a lose-lose. Dumb. As. Fuck.
That's not how capitalism works. If the tobacco industry could raise prices and get more money today, they would. Since they haven't, you have to assume that any increased taxes or burden on them will reduce their profits.
Yes, it might increase prices to the end consumer, because the demand curve will change when the costs change. But that doesn't mean the tobacco industry is making any more money. If it did, they would already charge more.
Don't ban them, tax them.
This way smokers have to pay more so the demand will decrease, tobacco industry gets less money, and the economic burden on public health and environment can be financed with the additional tax income.
Already banned where I live.
They now sell cigarettes with hollow filters in which a separately sold tiny filter fits, which is infused with menthol.
So I totally forgot about this but, they banned them in Illinois and they just... They're still there, no one around me has stopped selling them
"According to the American Lung Association, the use of menthol cigarettes is highest among Black, brown and LGBTQ+ communities. Medical groups like the American Lung Association have long advocated for menthol cigarettes to be banned because they can make it easier to start smoking and disproportionately affect minority communities."
Gonna save the minorities from the opression of racism and homophobia by specifically targeting them with a ban.
I've never really understood references to "the left eating itself" until I hit that paragraph. The absolute irony of the anti racist/homophobe sentiment being so overtly racist/homophobic kinda made the light bulb come on.
This adverse thing is adverse, so in order to reduce adversity among minorities, we'll target the specific option they tend towards... to reduce discrimination against them, by discriminating their specific choice. Discriminating against them... to reduce discrimination...
And then you publish that shit? That's kinda fucked IMHO.
“We’re making an effort, see?”
In 5 years:
Studies show menthol cigarette consumption has remained the same.
I do not trust they will handle this without corruption meddling laws and loopholes.
Canada has outright banned the sale of menthol cigarettes. You cannot buy them in Canada.
Sue Dillion needs to make some calls
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