No more menthol cigarettes: Massachusetts bans flavored tobacco, vape products

FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2014, file photo, a man smokes a cigarette on Main Street in Westminster, Mass. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to sign a law on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019, banning sales of flavored tobacco and vaping products, including menthol cigarettes. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola), File

BOSTON — Massachusetts became the first state to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products, including menthol cigarettes, after the Republican governor signed a bill Wednesday that responds to recent deaths linked to e-cigarettes and attempts to reduce their appeal to young people.