WHITE PLAINS – Saying there has been significant opposition by minority groups to a ban on flavored tobacco products in Westchester County, Executive George Latimore Tuesday vetoed legislation approved recently by the county board of legislators.
Because of the concerns of those groups, Latimer is rejected the legislature’s ban.
“The bill, which has strong support in some quarters of our county, has been vigorously opposed by a significant number of local African American groups and leaders, Middle Eastern and Arab American leaders, representatives of union organizations, all who assert their communities would be negatively impacted by banning these products,” he said. “None of these communities is monolithic in their opposition, but there exists a significant percentage of objects having been raises that cannot be brushed aside.”
Latimer said more education and enforcement efforts to address the ills of smoking and the enforcement of underage smoking must be addressed and he is launching programs on both fronts.
