The ban on flavored nicotine and tobacco products under consideration by the city council in Kansas City (MO) will lead to a laundry list of unintended consequences, including a major hit to the city’s economy.
A flavor ban in Kansas City would not mean that consumers will stop buying these products – it means they will simply travel across the border to Kansas or to other nearby cities where they can freely purchase their preferred products. This will leave retailers and small businesses in Kansas City with lost income,while their consumers take their business elsewhere.
To make matters worse, it won’t just be businesses that suffer. The proposed ban will also take significant tax revenue out of Kansas City’s coffers – millions annually – while nearby cities and towns reap the benefits. This exact scenario has played out in other cities and states that have passed flavor bans.
History has shown us time and again that just because you ban a product, the demand for the product doesn’t disappear – it simply gets fulfilled elsewhere.
One thing is for sure: flavor bans always have unintended consequences, and the city council will not be able to claim ignorance when businesses and Kansas City’s budget bear the burden if this measure is passed.
President of the Missouri Retailers Association
