US city considers tobacco retail bans and restrictions

A US city council has passed the first reading of a proposed measure to restrict severely retail sales of tobacco and related products, according to an Associated Press story relayed by the TMA.

The proposed measure by the council of Sonoma, California, would ban new businesses from selling cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco and certain other tobacco products.

And it would prohibit existing businesses from selling electronic cigarettes, cigars that retail for under $5 each, and most flavored tobacco products except flavored pipe tobacco.

The bans and restrictions would be effective from September 1.

The measure would require also that the 15 existing tobacco product retailers pay $246 each to obtain licenses.

The council is expected to vote on the measure for a second time in June.

Sonoma began considering the regulations in 2014 after the American Lung Association gave it an ‘F’ for some of its tobacco control efforts.