Endgame strategies have been defined as “initiatives designed to change/eliminate permanently the structural, political, and social dynamics that sustain the tobacco epidemic, in order to end it within a specific time.” ^[1]  As described in a tobacco endgame qualitative review and synthesis, “endgame” strategies move towards a tobacco-free future wherein the availability of commercial tobacco products is heavily restricted and their use is phased out. ^[2] Recently, two places have proposed this type of strategy: 

Hawaii Bill to Phase Out the Sale of Cigarettes by Incrementally Raising the Minimum Age to 100. Hawaii State Representative Richard Creagan recently proposed legislation aiming to make Hawaii the first state to eventually prohibit the sale of cigarettes.The goal of this bill was to increase the minimum age to buy cigarettes over a period of five years and effectively ban the sale of cigarettes over this time. While the bill has died in the House Health Committee, it presents a good example of the importance of building towards far-reaching policy goals. Read more about the legality of this policy option in “Not for Sale: State Authority to End Cigarette Sales”  

 Beverly Hills, CA Proposal to End Tobacco Sales Citywide On Feb 5, 2019, the Beverly Hills City Council discussed a citywide ban on tobacco sales. Key considerations for this bill include the business impact on store owners and hotels, tourism, and possible lawsuits. In the coming months, this proposed bill will be reviewed by the city’s Health and Safety Commission and the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce. Community meetings will be conducted and more feedback will be gathered from the business community to see the true impact of a policy such as this one. Read more here about this proposal in Beverly Hills.

Learn more about “End Game” strategies here.