The brief will analyze the problem you described in the concept paper in a policy context. But, first, examine how the policy action would address your study question.
? Describe the problem and the public health implications for the health care delivery system. ? Briefly describe the relevant policy action(s) to your research question.
? Background: Review debates on the topic, and related statutes, interview stakeholders and interest groups involved in the issue, arguments on various sides, and trace competing policies or regulations, if any. Has there been a related bill or law passed? If not, why?
? Analysis. Propose a new policy and describe how it should be implemented. What would be the new policy proposal, and what are the alternatives to the policy action for responding to this problem? What options do you recommend and why? ? What data and evidence can you use to support your point of view? What are the limitations of your proposed approach?
? Use of data. All papers must use some data to support your position. Data can be obtained from the internet, from public sources of information such as the federal or state, county departments of health services or data warehouses, or existing databases. An excellent example of using data is developing a table or chart, but they must relate to the topic and support your point of view.
1
Public Health Policy
Student’s Name
Course
University
Professor
Date
2
Concept Paper: California’s Ban of Flavored Tobacco Products (SB 793)
The Senate Bill 793, introduced in 2020, banned the sale of most flavored tobacco
products across California. This bill was ground-breaking, and it wanted to make the products
with the flavor of tobacco less attractive, especially among youth and young adults
(California Legislative Information, 2020). This legislation impacts public health directly and
has stirred up debates on individual freedoms, industry interests, and efficient approaches
toward tobacco control.
Background
Flavored tobacco products, which include menthol cigarettes, fruit-flavored ecigarettes, and also flavored cigars, have been proven to speed up the initiation process of
youth smokers. Flavored varieties of tobacco such as fruit, candy, and mint can cover up to
the bitter taste of the tobacco; thus, these products may attract new users who try for the first
time to use tobacco in a such as way that may as a gateway to nicotine addiction and
prolonged tobacco use. SB 793 ban became law on January 1, 2021, and the enforcement
began on the same date on January 1, the year after, a year after the effect of the ban started.
Public Health Implications
People who are in favor of the ban claim that flavored tobacco products are a pathway
to nicotine addiction, and many of those who get addicted are young. According to many
studies, flavors like fruit, candy, and mint were popular among youth, with the added benefit
of reducing the bitter taste of tobacco smoke (Public Health Law Center, 2020). This law can
be characterized by the fact that it aims to get rid of each of the products. Consequently, the
number of folks who will start and continue to use tobacco products will be reduced. Besides,
this will limit the exposure to cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases
associated with such products. However, some skeptics worry about unforeseeable outcomes;
one of them is the likeliness of the market for the flavored products being developed in black
and the uneven distribution of use of menthol cigarettes across particular communities that
are ethnically black.
Policy Options
• Maintain the current ban: SB 793 will be furthered as a legal requirement, and the
consequences of adopting this act should be emphasized.
• Amend the ban: The designated scope may be modified by including some exclusive
flavors or certain categories of exemption products based on the new evidence and
stakeholder inputs.
• Enhance education and cessation programs: Advocacy for increased funding and
initiation of educational and dependency programs on tobacco cessation, focusing
mainly on youth and high-risk groups.
Conclusion
The introduced flavored tobacco products ban in California indicates a remarkable
implementation of the public health policy, which seeks to reduce the rates of tobacco
consumption and related health risks. Furthermore, it entails complicated questions regarding
privacy and industry interests, rebutting effects and stimulating doubt. Policymakers need to
balance the advantages of the policy, such as the reduction of youth tobacco initiation, against
the opponents’ disadvantages and the problems the policy may pose when implemented and
enforced.
3
References
California Legislative Information. (2020, August 28). Bill Text – SB-793 Flavored tobacco
products. Leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB793
Public Health Law Center. (2020, September). California’s Flavored Tobacco Ban (SB793).
https://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/CA-FlavorTobacco-Ban-SB793.pdf
4
Annotated Bibliography
Cadham, C. J., Sanchez-Romero, L. M., Fleischer, N. L., Mistry, R., Hirschtick, J. L., Meza,
R., & Levy, D. T. (2020). The actual and anticipated effects of a menthol cigarette
ban: a scoping review. BMC Public Health, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889020-09055-z
A menthol cigarette ban scoping review examined the effects on smoking behavior (initiating,
cessation, switching products), sales, and compliance with the ban. This study revealed that
cigarettes without menthol in them can reduce sales and lead to quit attempts with a trade-off
to non-menthol cigarettes and make intake among inexperienced smokers more difficult. The
review indeed advocates for the continued operation of precautionary regulation
organizations to prevent using menthol tobacco products.
Chaiton, M. O., Nicolau, I., Schwartz, R., Cohen, J. E., Soule, E., Zhang, B., & Eissenberg,
T. (2020). Ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products predicts cigarette cessation at
1 year: a population cohort study. Tobacco Control, 29(3), 341–347.
https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054841
This research was conducted in just one Ontario region to evaluate the impact of the mentholflavored tobacco product ban on smoking cessation rates one year after its
implementation. Daily and occasional cigarettes with menthol showed a higher number of
quitters than did non-menthol smokers. The results demonstrate that a mandate on menthol
may create an opportunity to make public health conditions much better.
Peck, K., Rodericks, R., Irvin, L., Johnson, L., Tamashiro, J., Ching, L., Sentell, T., & Pirkle,
C. (2020). Identifying best practices in adoption, implementation and enforcement of
flavoured tobacco product restrictions and bans: lessons from experts. Tobacco
Control, 31(1), 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055884
This paper used the best practices from recognized expert interviews in adopting,
implementing, and executing flavoring restrictions on tobacco products. Landmark elements
were considered as the full policy text, the identification of enforcement agents, the economic
impact analysis, the community engagement, and the retailer education.
Rogers, T., Brown, E. M., Siegel-Reamer, L., Rahman, B., Feld, A. L., Patel, M., Vallone, D.,
& Schillo, B. A. (2021). A Comprehensive Qualitative Review of Studies Evaluating
the Impact of Local US Laws Restricting the Sale of Flavored and Menthol Tobacco
Products. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntab188
The quality of evidence was evaluated in this review, which examined the effectiveness of
bans on sales of flavored and menthol tobacco products at local levels in the U.S. The study
indicated the corresponding relationship of policy implementation with decreased
accessibility, promotion, sale, and usage of restricted products for youth and adults of all
ages. On the other hand, policy exclusions, complicated implementations, industrial actions,
and consumer’ responses could possibly lead to limited effects.
Rossheim, M. E., Livingston, M. D., Krall, J. R., Barnett, T. E., Thombs, D. L., McDonald,
K. K., & Gimm, G. W. (2020). Cigarette Use Before and After the 2009 Flavored
Cigarette Ban. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(3), 432–437.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.022
Based on another study addressing the ban of flavored cigarettes from the U.S. in 2009, it
documented the immediate and longer-term decrease in cigarette/menthol use rates teenager
5
and young adults by 7.70%, while older population were remained constant. Research results
prove that such bans serve as an impeccable tool to diminish the smoking habit of
adolescents.
Satchell, T., Diaz, M. C., Stephens, D., Bertrand, A., Schillo, B. A., & Whitsel, L. P. (2022).
The impact of two state-level approaches to restricting the sale of flavored tobacco
products. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14172-y
This research analyzed the effect of comprehensive (in terms of Massachusetts case) and
partial (New Jersey case) flavoring tobacco sales restrictions. Substantial orders of all the
flavored products in this lifted in Massachusetts, whereas New Jersey showed a decreased
amount of menthol e-cigarettes and an increased quantity of other sweet cigars. That’s why
more comprehensive measures perform better than single types of limitations.
Schillo, B., Seaman, E. L., Cuccia, A., Ali, Cordova, J., Mills, S., & Kreslake, J. (2023).
Early evidence of flavored tobacco product restrictions in Massachusetts and New
York State. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 21(October), 1–14.
https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/172000
The research emphasized how humans, especially youth, are the regeneration and source of
creativity for a community to thrive. This investigation, incorporating sales and survey
findings, assesses flavored tobacco restrictions effects in Massachusetts and New York during
the initial stages. Impressive sale decreases and flavor preference changes between e-liquids
could be reported, but further analysis of disposable e-cigarette use might show that
loopholes still need to be closed.