Ohio reverses local menthol tobacco bans, infuriating doctors

After Columbus, Ohio banned the sale of menthol cigarettes on Jan. 1, the state legislature voted to strip cities of their ability to regulate tobacco. Doctors are outraged.

On New Year's Day, the city of Columbus, Ohio, did what the federal government has not been able to: ban the sale of menthol cigarettes.

Three weeks later, the state Legislature voted to reinstate menthol and other flavored tobacco products — and strip all its cities of their ability to regulate what type of tobacco is sold or enforce who is old enough to buy it.

Ohio is just the latest state to limit what local communities can do about tobacco use. At least 39 other states have passed similar laws, according to the American Lung Association.

The move has frustrated public health officials in Ohio who say residents are already at greater risk of dying early from smoking-related diseases. The state has one of the highest smoking rates among adults in the country: 17.1%, compared to the national rate of 11.5%, according to the American Cancer Society.

"I am very concerned when politicians start deciding what they think is best for the health of the population," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus Public Health. "We know that tobacco products are harmful."

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/ohio-reverses-flavored-menthol-tobacco-ban-rcna136194

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