FORT WALTON BEACH— Okaloosa County commissioners on Tuesday put their support behind local high school students working to ban the sale of candy-flavored tobacco products.
The board voted unanimously to approve a resolution that urges tobacco retailers to stop selling the flavored tobacco.
Crestview High School students Brittany Quarrier and Riana Arenz proposed the resolution during a presentation on banning the flavored tobacco, which often is marketed to young people between the ages of 14 and 18.
The students are officers in the Crestview High School chapter of Students Working Against Tobacco, a statewide and federally funded organization that aims to educate Florida youth to “revolt against and de-glamorize Big Tobacco.”
SWAT has chapters at Crestview High School, Laurel Hill School, Meigs Middle School and Fort Walton Beach High School.
“We’re working to show teens how smoking can affect them in the long run,” said Brittany, a senior at Crestview.
She told commissioners that young people are easily targeted because the candy flavors are appealing. The products often incorporate stylish packaging and familiar names such as “Mandarin Mint,” “Winter Toffee” and “Twista Chill.” In 2009, 3.4 percent of all middle school students and 6 percent of high school students had smoked flavored cigarettes at least once in the past 30 days, according SWAT statistics.
Recent bans on flavored cigarettes don’t include the flavored tobacco products such as chew, dip and snuff that are increasingly popular among teenagers.
Riana and Brittany told commissioners that the ban has the support of only the city governments of Laurel Hill, Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.
“Okaloosa County is one of the few counties with only a city resolution,” Riana said.
Commissioner Wayne Harris commended the girls’ efforts and voiced full support for the campaign.
After the vote, Riana and Brittany said they were pleased with the commissioners’ decision.
“We’re happy. It was something that needed to be addressed,” Riana said.
The students said their SWAT groups are serious about banning the flavored tobacco because they don’t like to be singled out by the big tobacco companies.
“They’re targeting young people, and we’re not even supposed to get our hands on it until age 18,” Riana said after the meeting.
The students said they emphasize the health risks of smoking, the cost and the 18-and-older law to get their message across to other teenagers.
“We go with any angle that will work,” Riana said.