Public health advocates press Buffalo committee to ban menthol; legal counsel says city may need state enabling law

At its June 17 meeting, the Committee on Community Development of the Buffalo Common Council heard more than an hour of public testimony urging the city to ban menthol-flavored tobacco products and other flavored tobacco, especially where youth and marginalized communities live.

The testimony emphasized disproportionate harms in Black, Brown and LGBTQI+ neighborhoods and cited local research. Melissa Sanchez, assistant corporation counsel, told the committee, "My understanding is that we would need state enabling legislation first in order for the city to actually ban menthol." Committee members then asked the law department for a formal written opinion. The committee later voted to table the item pending that guidance.

Why it matters: Public speakers from local health and civil-rights groups said menthol products are a major factor in nicotine initiation among young people and in persistent disparities in tobacco-related disease. Advocates told the committee the proposed restriction would align Buffalo with other jurisdictions and could save lives, while legal staff warned the council to confirm whether the city has authority to adopt a local…