Bangor, Maine Passes Second Attempt at Flavored Tobacco Ban
After having to rescind a ban on flavored tobacco products due to a procedural error, the Bangor City Council passed its second attempt at the ban by a 6-1 vote on Tuesday.
The city had originally passed the ban in October 2021, with it set to go into effect on June 1, 2022. However, Maine law requires cities to give businesses 30 days notice whenever a city is considering a new tobacco ordinance that is stricter than state law. In the case of the flavored tobacco products ban, Bangor did not do that, and so to avoid potential lawsuits, the council voted to repeal the ban and pursue it at another time and by following state law.
The ban is notable for including products with menthol and alternative nicotine delivery products, while there are no exemptions for premium cigars. Violators will be subject to a fine of $50 to $100 for a first offense, which then increases to between $300 and $1,000 for subsequent offenses within a two-year period.
The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
Bangor is home to roughly 32,000 residents.
Patrick Lagreid
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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