At Graby's Mini Mart on the corner of Wescott and Euclid, flavored items line the counter. Candy, blunt wraps and mints make for a colorful display. The one thing missing is flavored cigarettes.
A new FDA ban on flavored cigarettes went into effect last month. The government asserts flavored cigarettes attract children toward a life of addiction.
However, a Graby's store clerk, who asked only to be called by his first name--Magdi, said the threat of foreign tobacco companies for American companies is the driving force behind the ban.
"Phillip Morris supported the ban because most companies that make flavored cigarettes are foreign, like these Djarum Black ones from Indonesia," he said.
Graby's was able to sell most of the flavored cigarettes it had in stock. The rest were sent back to the manufacturer.
While the new regulations haven't hurt business, they are leading people to find new ways to make cigarettes more palatable.
Magdi predicted flavored blunt wraps will become the most popular way around the ban.
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