The City Council meeting in Albany CA has been moderately hopeful based on the concerns of several of the city council members who were not ready to move forward on a flavor ban policy. Mayor McQuaid and Council Member Nass wished to move forward and believe there is support in the city for a flavor ban ordinance but the rest of the city council wasn’t so eager.
The city council heard from a vape shop and their customers in the meeting and are currently examining options to review the ordinance, conduct more outreach, and possibly learn more about the impact a flavor ban ordinance would have. We welcome this willingness to learn more and certainly will be engaging further on this issue with them.
In the meantime, no decisions were made, no votes were taken and there are no immediate steps for action as there are no future dates planned for meetings or hearings. That said, if you are affected by a flavor ban in Albany, whether you are a business in the vapor industry or a consumer of vapor products, we will continue to encourage you to speak to your city council members about this to voice your concerns.
I have smoked for over 10 years and tried everything under the sun to quit. Using vaping products has been the only method for harm reduction. I do intend to quit vaping but without the flavors that are included in most juices I would have given up on vaping and continue to smoke today. Although I do not live in Albany, I hope city council allows smokers to try quitting using vaping which flavors are a critical component.