The Brunswick Town Council on Monday delayed its decision on a proposed ban on the sale and distribution of flavored tobacco and nicotine products.
In a 5-4 vote, the council decided not to suspend its rules to take action on the proposal because of the council’s mixed feelings on the proposal. Members of the council asked for more time to consider their decision before passing of the ordinance.
“I have listened to people talk about the early stage of where addiction happened,” Town Council Chair Jim Mason said. “I deal with a lot of people with substance abuse issues and what I am telling you is that you are underselling it. One of my clients told me that they started using cigarettes at the age of 7. I have a 10-year-old child and the first time I heard that, it really had a big effect on me.”
Mason added: “I come from North Carolina where tobacco has a long history. So, I have seen the tobacco industry having a very strong public presence and I have no doubt that the tobacco industry is marketing products to children.”
However, he said he is conflicted because he has an issue with a law that restrict adults from using flavored tobacco.
“I do have concerns about a law that is trying to prevent adults from having a product that they are allowed to have when we do not do that for alcohol and how it is marketed. So, I am really mixed about this,” Mason said. “This ordinance feels overly broad to me. It doesn’t mean that I do not support its aims, but it does feel sort of broad and I am having a hard time thinking about that and how to get around it.”
Sande Updegraph, town councilor for District 4, echoed Mason’s conflicted views.
“I know how I think I will ultimately wind up in the vote, but I am not ready yet,” Updegraph said. “There is so much more to know. I agree with both Councilors King and Watson about law enforcement, education and many more topics. I just do not have a clear path in my mind, and I don’t think we should be compelled by the legislative calendar as urgent as that is. I think we need to make our own choices and I am not there yet.”
Kate Foye, councilor for District 6, was one of the members that voted to move forward with the vote Monday.
“We have had this issue before us as a council since the beginning of the year. We have been receiving emails endlessly for months. The biggest victory for the tobacco lobby is more time and we are handing them the victory,” Foye said. “I just would respectfully ask for us to reconsider. We have been talking about this for months and this is a time for us to lead and not hand them another win.”
Town Councilor Kathy Wilson agreed with Foye that they need to move forward on the bill.
“We have been talking about this for two or three months. We almost brought it forward and then the tobacco company made us wait another 30 days and we did,” Wilson said. “We heard from the experts, hospitals, nurses, parents and children. I want to go forward with this tonight. I think we have enough information.”
She added: “My greatest interest is to do the best I can for the kids right now and if we don’t ban this, they are going to see this as a win.”
The council said that they are going to be addressing this proposal at their next meeting on April 18.
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