California Assemblyman Chris Rogers joins the Exchange to discuss a new bill signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsome on Oct 3. The bill, AB573, was introduced into the California state legislature by Rogers to increase the fees paid by tobacco retailers who target youth with the sales of prohibited flavored tobacco products.
According to the 2024 California Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 84% of high school tobacco users reported using flavored products. Illegal flavored e-cigarettes still comprise at least 31% of total e-cigarette sales in California, and disposable e-cigarettes represent nearly 94% of sales of prohibited flavored e-cigarettes in California. In 2024, almost 19% of California tobacco retailers still sold tobacco to underage buyers.
Assemblyman Chris Rogers represents District 2, which includes the counties of: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Trinity.