Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call in his 2020-21 budget address Tuesday for ending the sale of flavored e-cigarettes doesn’t go far enough, according to the American Heart Association.
“We need to protect the health of all New Yorkers by prohibiting the sale of all flavors in all tobacco products,” said Caitlin O’Brien, J.D., New York State Director of Government Affairs for the American Heart Association. “Big Tobacco has long targeted African American communities with menthol and mint cigarettes, and Big Vape is using the same playbook by using flavors to hook kids. If the sale of menthol and mint in combustible tobacco products are not included with flavored e-cigarettes, we haven’t done right by all New Yorkers.”
In his budget address Tuesday, Cuomo talked about lifting people, especially children, out of poverty, according to a news release from the American Heart Association in Syracuse. Investing in prevention programs is an investment in children and saves money for families and on Medicaid spending in the future.
The governor talked about creating equity in educational opportunities in the budget address. If there is a statewide model school wellness policy and adequate funding, we can create health equity among school children.
American Heart Association will be working to improve the health of New Yorkers with the following initiatives:
- The elimination of the sale of all flavored tobacco products in the state.
- The creation of a School Wellness Policy and a $21 million appropriation for school wellness.
- Ensuring that funding for public health programs aimed at prevention remain in separate budget lines and are fully funded.
