Potential Effects of a Ban on the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products in Hawaii, 2024

This Fact Sheet was written by Frank Chaloupka. The fact sheet discusses the potential effects of ending the sale of flavored tobacco products in Hawaii. Currently, the state's direct annual tobacco-related health care expenditure amounts to $611.0 million, with additional costs associated with productivity loss and secondhand smoke. Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products would reduce tobacco use initiation, lead current tobacco users to quit, improve health, and save lives. Specifically, over 3,550 smokers (5.6% of menthol smokers) would quit as a result of the policy and fewer youth would initiate smoking menthol cigarettes. In addition to the public health impact, the policy would reduce long-term health care spending by over $30.2 million in the state. This would more-than-cover the decrease of $10.8 million in tobacco tax revenues. Modeling the impact in the state of Hawaii, Chaloupka demonstrates the overall benefits that this policy would have.

A corresponding Report can be found here.