Denver Restricting Flavored Tobacco Products in 2023, Cigar Shops Exempt

Earlier tonight, the Denver City Council approved a ban on most flavored tobacco products. It will take effect on July 1, 2023 and, most importantly for readers of this site, it won’t ban the sale of flavored tobacco products at tobacco stores—like cigar shops—or hookah lounges.

The City Council passed the measure by an 8-3 vote. With the newest amendment, cigar shops will be able to sell not only flavored handmade cigars—like a previous amendment would have allowed—but also all flavored tobacco products. According to The Denver Post, the two co-sponsors of the bill accepted amendments for hookah lounges and cigar and pipe tobacco stores; both types of businesses are only allowed to have customers who are 21-years-old or older.

Last month, the Denver City Council Safety Committee advanced the measure last month and added the exemptions for flavored handmade cigars and flavored hookah tobacco.

That version of the ban would have exempted some—but not all—cigars. It would have included cigars that are made by hand, wrapped in natural tobacco leaf, and do not include a tip.

In addition to changing the exemption to include all cigars sold by cigar shops, the City Council also delayed the date the measure took effect by one year. It was originally scheduled to go into effect in July 2022.