By Dan Murphy
Several more comments on the recent Veto by County Executive George Latimer to legislation that passed 11-6 on the county board of legislators banning flavored tobacco.
County Board of Legislators Chair Catherine Borgia:
“While I, and most of my colleagues, are disappointed with the County Executive’s veto of the law banning flavored tobacco passed last week by the Board of Legislators, I am proud of the hard work of this body and public health advocates for pushing the conversation forward, and advancing the legislation further than before.
I am encouraged by County Executive Latimer’s commitment of $3 million towards a new Westchester Tobacco-Free Program and look forward to working with his administration to make it a success. The announcement of this program shows that we have moved the needle forward. We will continue to work for a healthier Westchester.
I applaud my colleague, Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson of District 8, for her steadfast leadership and tenacity in getting the bill passed through our Board during her first year as a legislator. I am confident that she will continue the conversation in the Health Committee and in future pieces of legislation.”
Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson, Chair of the Health Committee and champion of this bill, said of the veto:
“My disappointment cannot be put into words. The County Executive indicated the significant number of objections raised that cannot be brushed aside, and I counter with the tremendous advocacy in support of this ban that should not be discounted. Westchester County may have the lowest percentage of adult smokers in the State of New York, but this ban was meant for those disproportionately targeted by Big Tobacco.
The County Executive’s announcement of the Tobacco Education and Enforcement Initiatives with a $3 million investment is noble. However, it in no way compares to the billions lost due to tobacco-related health issues and loss of productivity in our state alone.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday to uphold the California ban on flavored tobacco, I feel the residents of California won while, with this veto, the residents of Westchester County suffered a setback.”
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, “I commend Westchester County Executive George Latimer on his decision to veto a ban on all flavored tobacco products. While I wholeheartedly support efforts to curb smoking among all populations, I reject the notion that excessively punitive and prohibitive bans, which disproportionately impact small businesses, are the most suitable course of action to accomplish this goal. Westchester smokers have already observed a decline in available options due to bans on flavored e-cigarette liquids and vaping, which had been instrumental in the empirical decrease in tobacco usage over the last decade. I find it hypocritical that as we are about to open the market for safe cannabis consumption on the premise that we have created a robust system of accountability predicated on personal responsibility, we are abruptly curtailing the availability of products already available through a similar regulatory framework. If the existing ban on e-cigarette liquids and vaping offer any insight, this bill will only bolster a growing black market proliferated by unsafe alternatives. I look forward to returning to Albany and affirming my support for proven actions to curtail smoking among young people and those in vulnerable communities.”
A Sound Shore Democrat also supported Latimer’s veto, telling us “I don’t support the Nanny State of telling us what to do with every part of our lives. And this law, if adopted, would have resulted in people going to the Bronx or Connecticut for their Menthol cigarettes, or buy them on the black market here. I support the County Executive’s decision.”
The folKent Sopris, President of the New York Association of Convenience Stores said, “The New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) commends County Executive George Latimer for his veto of a bill that would have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products in Westchester County. Prohibition never works as public policy and this bill would have jeopardized small business owners without providing any substantive health benefit. Westchester County currently has the lowest smoking rate in the entire state. By keeping the focus on education and enforcement the county can continue to build on this success. NYACS and its members are ready to assist the county in these efforts.”
The American Cancer Society’s NY Director of Government Relations Michael Davoli said, “Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s veto of the comprehensive flavored tobacco law was an act of cowardice. By ignoring the deadly impact that flavored tobacco has on his constituents, the County Executive has cast his lot with those who have peddled their deadly product with lies for generations. The justification given in his veto message could have been written by a tobacco industry lobbyist. His willingness to accept the lies presented by opponents of the bill demonstrate the interests that matter to him most. Any elected official who puts the profits of businesses ahead of the health of their constituents should be ashamed.”
In our print edition, we also wrote about how the split in the democratic party over this issue is not only on race. Three black County Legislators, including the bills sponsor, Legislators Jewel Williams Johnson, Colin Smith and Majority Leader, Legislator Christopher Johnson, supported the ban.
In Yonkers, Majority Leader Johnson, and Legislator Jose Alvarado, supported the ban, while Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins and legislators David Tubiolo and James Nolan opposed.
