New York Gov Hochul Faces Criticism From Big Tobacco Over 'Double Standard,' Cannabis Vs Cigarettes

New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her 2023 state of the state address last week announcing her plans for improving the Empire State. Shortly thereafter, some of them were criticized.

Among those who are unhappy with one at least one of the Governor's proposals is the tobacco industry, which takes issue with her suggestion to ban flavored tobacco. It represents a double standard, the cigarette industry says, in that Hochul did not mention banning flavored marijuana products, writes New York Post.

The governor obviously had her reasons: “These actions are projected to reduce the number of young people smoking cigarettes by 9%, prevent 22,000 youths from becoming adult smokers, and prevent premature deaths caused by smoking,” Hochul said. New York is one of the strictest in the nation when it comes to tobacco smoking, starting with the state's Clean Indoor Air Act.

While the state forbids the sale of flavored vaping products, Housing Works, the  non-profit that became New York’s first retail cannabis shop in NYC, is adverting various flavored THC products.

“Blaming flavored tobacco as a vehicle for underage smoking while promoting flavored cannabis is bizarre and contradictory, and will only impact the lives of retail employees who will see their jobs eliminated,” said Kent Sopris, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. 

He added that “prohibitionist policies such as the flavor ban will have no impact on the availability of the products as they will remain readily available to consumers in nearby states and on the flourishing criminal underground market just like banned flavored vape products are.” 

A spokesman for Hochul, Avi Small, responded to this criticism. “Whether Big Tobacco admits it or not, the facts are clear: cigarettes kill more than 28,000 New Yorkers each year and Governor Hochul’s bold public health proposal will save lives.” 

DPA Attacks Hochul’s Plan To Deal With Opioid Crisis 

Following the Governor’s state of the state address last week, her plan to deal with the opioid crisis also attracted criticism.

Hochul said mental health care should be available to everyone, no matter the age or the problem.

Adding the government's plan to work “with federal and local partners, to stop the flow of illicit drugs into our communities and address new deadly additives like xylazine. We’ll send resources to localities that are working to shut down fentanyl suppliers.” Xylazine is a sedative found in illicit opioids.

Hochul said that the state will continue to develop and make available technology that can detect deadly additives before they are used. She said the state would establish an interagency task force to consider every possible solution.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) issued a statement on Hochul's plans, saying she  could be doing more.

“One notable absence from her plan is the funding and expansion of overdose prevention centers. If she truly took the bold and courageous action she claims to support, she would use her powers to authorize overdose prevention centers and provide funds from the state’s opioid settlement pot to save the lives of thousands of New Yorkers,” the DPA stated. 

In Dec. 2021 New York City became the first in the nation to open two overdose prevention centers (OPC) where people can use illicit drugs and receive medical care and services, and in just three weeks since opening city officials said the sites had saved dozens of lives.

Back To (Big) Tobacco & Cannabis, Or ‘Apples & Oranges’

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) backed Hochul’s decision to ban menthol cigarettes, arguing that the tobacco industry has intensely advertised flavored cigarettes to communities of color, impacting their health.

“I’m glad Gov. Hochul is taking up the cause. This tobacco ban is on the NAACP’s legislative agenda,” said Hazel Dukes, president of New York state's NAACP. “We stopped taking money from the tobacco companies because of the higher death rate in the African-American and brown communities.”

According to Dukes, tobacco and marijuana should be considered two different matters in terms of the ban, adding that they are like “apples and oranges.” 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from visionart.av via Pexels and KC Kratt via Wikimedia Commons