Volusia County and city leaders are trying to urge businesses to take flavored tobacco off shelves by passing resolutions.

The head of the Volusia County Health Department said children are getting their hands on candy-flavored tobacco products and getting hooked on smoking.

Now, Volusia and cities are passing resolutions trying to get merchants to take those products off store shelves.

The manager of a Deltona convenience store said the candy-flavored tobacco products, which come in strawberry, chocolate and grape, are his bestselling items. However, health officials argue tobacco companies are targeting the wrong crowd.

“These candy-flavored tobacco products are very attractive to youth and they're addictive,” said Volusia County Health Department official Dr. Bonnie Sorenson. “There are 88 people dying per day in Florida of tobacco related illnesses. And the tobacco businesses are just trying to get youth hooked. “

Sorenson said few adults even know these products exist. So she turned to Volusia County council, as well as cities, to pass resolutions.

“The resolutions essentially advise vendors to stop selling these products,” Sorenson said.

Deltona also considered a resolution similar to ones passed in New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange. Those resolutions support one passed by the county, which was introduced by Joie Alexander. She admitted there's very little the county and cities can do to stop vendors from selling this.

“We can pass it for awareness, but there's not teeth that we can put into it as a county or a city. It really has to, we can't enforce it,” Alexander said.

All county and city leaders can do is ask merchants to either stop or to curtail sales of this product. Merchants said they are policing themselves -- carding anyone who tries to buy this item. They said for now, taking their best seller off the shelf will require stronger encouragement.

“The only way that I can stop selling that if they pay me for whatever the tobacco product, my money and my profit. I cannot do it otherwise,” said store manager Javier Perez.

Sorenson admitted only state and federal governments can ban these tobacco items. The push right now is to get the word to lawmakers in Tallahassee to see if they take any action.

Sorenson said the FDA has already banned candy-flavored cigarettes. She's asking that they ban all other flavored tobacco.

Volusia County, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange all passed those resolutions.