Bangor City Council to vote on flavored tobacco ban Monday night

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - The Bangor City Council will vote on banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in the city Monday night.

It’s a measure the council first broached last fall.

Advocates for the change feel it is what is best for kids.

Those that oppose it tell TV5 it’s not a real solution and will only hurt Bangor businesses.

”It just hurts Bangor businesses. People, if kids are going to get it, they’re going to get it whether it’s in Bangor or not in Bangor, so, let’s focus more on what we can control, is the supply versus arbitrarily picking. I mean, why not? Pick any of them that are red because kids like the color red? I don’t know. I, it just doesn’t seem to make sense,” said Dave Makson, Damon’s Beverage general manager.

“We hear from parents and students and faculty members in schools that there’s a huge problem within the Bangor School Department of kids using E cigarettes and flavored tobacco products. So much so that we hear stories from kids who are afraid to even use the bathroom because of the immense amount of peer pressure they may face,” said BJ McCollister, Flavors Hook Maine Kids campaign manager.

The city council meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

TV5 will have the latest Monday night at 10 and 11.

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