COLUMBUS, Ohio — Zoe Villalobos, owner of The Joint of High, said the past month has been tough for her business.
“This past month has been tough. Sales have dropped by half, and that's because people can get everything they want in a five- to 10-minute drive,” Villalobos said.
Villalobos said she had to throw away $5,000 worth of flavored tobacco products before the city's ban began Jan. 1.
But Villalobos' business and other stores will be able to sell flavored tobacco products again within 90 days after the Ohio Legislature overrode Governor DeWine's veto of a budget measure that would have left regulation to local governments. .
Villalobos said she will have to spend more money to get the products back on shelves.
“We're going to spend about $6,000 to get all the products we had back. That's low ball. For a small shop like mine, you don't even have $6,000 on hand,” Villalobos said.
The city of Columbus continues its fight for local enforcement. City Attorney Zach Klein said the lawsuit is ongoing.
“Cities need to have the ability to do these things. This is a continued erosion of household rules and a city that cares about its citizens working with their communities and helping the children in their communities. It's a continued erosion. We will fight it every step of the way,” Klein said.
Klein said the ban is aimed at protecting children and keeping them away from addiction to tobacco products.
OhioHealth's Dr. Ben Bring said flavored tobacco products can be dangerous to children.
“One pod or vape contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes. Therefore, they are highly addictive and children can become hooked quickly,” Dr. Bring said. Ta.
He wants parents to know that flavored products aren't necessarily better than cigarettes.
“I know it's often labeled as 'safer than cigarettes,' but that's not really the case because it can damage your lungs. It also comes with higher nicotine levels. ” Dr. Bring said.
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