Denver City Council approves ban on sales of flavored tobacco products
The Denver City Council voted 11-1 to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in the city on Monday night.
The ordinance includes bans on e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, vapes and other flavored nicotine and tobacco products.
Advocates for the ban said leading up to Monday's meeting that it would keep nicotine products out of teenagers' and young adults' hands. Those against the ban said it would destroy small local businesses and, in some cases, businesses would even go under.
Zack Shadi-Kingsley owns three convenience stores in Denver where nicotine products currently make up for about 55% of his inside sales.
"This would hurt," said Shadi-Kingsley before Monday's vote. "We spoke about moving out of the city, if this passes, selling all three of our locations in Denver and moving out of the city."
The now-filled shelves with flavored tobacco products at his gas station could soon be emptied, leaving his store with only a few nicotine products behind the glass that customers could purchase.
"All of the flavored tobacco here will be gone. All of the vapes will be gone," said Shadi-Kingsley. "Pretty much I'll have Marlboro Red, Marlboro Gold, Camel Blues left, traditional cigarettes."
Council member Darrell Watson sponsored the measure. It will amend Denver's municipal code and make it illegal for retailers to sell or deliver flavored tobacco products.
"The outcome will be better health for our communities, better health for our youth, less targeting of our youth and people of color with these poisonous products," said Watson before the vote.
The council member said about 7% of Denver teenagers have admitted to vaping or using vape cigarettes. Often times, he said it's disproportionally impacting children and people of color. He added tobacco use is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in Americans.
"For decades, menthol cigarettes were created specifically to target African Americans and people of color because they knew the incentivizing through the flavoring increased the use of people of color," said Watson. "When we look at young people who are disproportionately impacted by these products, we cannot not do something, and tonight is a positive step towards listening to community and protecting our community health," he said.
Denver City Council tried to pass a similar measure in 2021, but then-Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed it. Boulder County and the City of Golden have passed similar flavored tobacco bans in their communities.
Shadi-Kingsley said he'll also lose out on customers stopping by and buying snacks or other items in the store. He believes many people would then drive the several minutes to Adams County or surrounding communities to buy what they need from the store.
"It would affect me negatively. ... So a lot of this seems like a sham this time, honestly," said Shadi-Kingsley.
Shadi-Kingsley also wished for more time and more communication with community members to come up with a solution that is effective for everyone. Watson said this has been a discussion within city council since 2021, and that was enough time for business owners to make decisions knowing "that a community wanted change."
