Bangor business owners will once again no longer be allowed to sell flavored tobacco products.  The ban passed the city council by a vote of 6-1 on Monday night.

Bangor was the first city in Maine to ban flavored tobacco products last April, but a the ban was reversed after the city solicitor said the city had failed to notify affected vendors 30 days before considering the ordinance.  Both Portland and Brunswick avoided Bangor’s mistake and passed flavor bans in the past year.

Councilors said that the idea that these products were being marketed directly to children and teens was what made the issue so clear to them.  Retailers spoke at the council meeting on Monday, with the Bangor Daily News reporting that one business owner said that “My body, my choice isn’t just reserved for females and abortion…we wouldn’t approve a ban on flavored alcohol for adults, we can’t have a double standard when it comes to flavoring.”

The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and institutes fines of $50-$100 for first-time offenders and then $300-$1000 for each offense committed within the same two-year period.