Maine group gathers signatures to ban flavored tobacco

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - People are gathering signatures as voters hit the polls Tuesday including those supporting a ban on flavored tobacco.

The Flavors Hook Kids Maine Coalition have been at several polling places around the state on Tuesday.

They say they want to continue to put names behind the effort as the House of Representatives considers the bill in the next legislative session.

The bill passed in the Senate this year.

They say the most recent polling shows 63% of Mainers strongly supporting a ban of flavored tobacco products.

One of their biggest goals is to reduce teen vaping and tobacco use.

”To a young person whose brain is not yet fully formed at the age of 15, 16 years old, nicotine is even more addictive because of that. So, the reason for getting them hooked on nicotine is to get them hooked on tobacco. It’s a pretty easy line to draw from one to the next and none of it is okay,” said Dan Cashman, Flavors Hook Kids Maine spokesperson.

Several communities have already banned flavored tobacco including Bangor and Bar Harbor.

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