The latest large bust of unlawful Newport cigarettes in Dorchester is “only the tip of the iceberg” for the illicit menthol market within the Bay State, in line with a gaggle that claims menthol use has remained the identical for the reason that ban in 2020.
The New England Comfort Retailer and Power Entrepreneurs Affiliation is out with a report that exhibits the proportion of Massachusetts grownup people who smoke who use menthol has remained nearly unchanged — regardless of the 2020 state ban on flavored tobacco.
The latest survey discovered that 37.5% of Bay State people who smoke who’re 18-plus reported utilizing menthol cigarette merchandise in 2019, in comparison with 36.9% in 2022.
Additionally, 3.9% of all adults in Massachusetts reported smoking menthol in 2019, in contrast with 3.8% in 2022.
“The data is clear: bans do not work,” NECSEMA Government Director Peter Brennan mentioned in a press release. “As we warned before this ill-advised policy was put in place, the buying and selling of menthol cigarettes in Massachusetts has continued unabated, despite these legal adult products being removed from the shelves of licensed, regulated retailers.
“Those who prefer menthol are continuing to buy these products in neighboring states that are now reaping the tax benefits, or even worse, on the illicit market, from criminals and organized crime factions,” Brennan added.
Earlier this week, a 51-year-old Alabama man was arrested for allegedly promoting containers of unlawful Newport cigarettes in Dorchester’s Grove Corridor neighborhood.
The arrest adopted complaints from residents about drug exercise and the illicit sale of unstamped cigarettes within the space, police mentioned. Officers discovered a number of packages of unstamped cigarettes, a number of luggage of marijuana, a loaded 9 mm handgun, and money.
“This troubling case of alleged trafficking in banned menthol cigarettes unfortunately is only the tip of the iceberg as the illicit market is clearly thriving in Massachusetts,” Brennan mentioned.
“The data is clear that usage of menthol and other flavored tobacco products has not decreased since the ban went into effect and criminals know that they can easily purchase these in-demand items in neighboring states or via the Internet and sell them on our streets here in Massachusetts,” the NECSEMA government director added.
The brand new report additionally discovered that Massachusetts has not seen a bigger lower in total smoking habits amongst adults 21-plus, in comparison with different states that also permit menthol and flavored tobacco utilization.
If all grownup menthol people who smoke had give up, the anticipated grownup smoking prevalence in 2022 would have been round 7%. However the precise smoking prevalence amongst adults 21-plus is 10.7%.
“Massachusetts is losing out on more than $100 million per year in sales tax revenue from menthol sales that are now going to New Hampshire and Rhode Island,” Brennan mentioned. “We are seeing cartons of menthols being sold on our streets, unchecked. The data makes it crystal clear that the flavored tobacco ban in Massachusetts has been a complete failure. The numbers do not lie.”
