Hawaii’s tobacco report card is out – and the state got mixed grades.
Hawaii got an A for keeping public spaces free of smoke but earned an F for failing to prevent access to flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and fruity-flavored electronic cigarettes, according to a report by the American Lung Association.
While cigarette smoking has fallen to record lows in recent years due to a raft of tobacco control laws and gruesome yet effective public information campaigns, advocates and officials warn Hawaii and the nation remain in the grips of a “vaping epidemic” among high school students and young adults.