A proposal to ban flavored tobacco got the overwhelming support of the Massachusetts House of Representatives on Wednesday, passing by a 127-31 vote and moving on to the Senate.

Of note about the ban is that it includes both mint and menthol. In addition, the bill would place a new 75 percent tax on the sale of e-cigarettes. If passed, retailers who violate the ban would face a punishment including losing their state lottery retailer license.

The Senate has not yet placed it on the calendar, which has an Nov. 20 end date for the formal session. If passed, the ban would go into effect June 1, 2020.

Overall Score

Avatar photo

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 MLB.com, 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.