Edhat Staff
(stock photo)
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors have approved a ban on flavored tobacco in unincorporated areas.
Four supervisors approved the ban with Peter Adam of the Fourth District dissenting.
The amended ordinance to Licensure to Tobacco Retailers includes requirements to prevent youth exposure to tobacco, including electronic smoking devices, also known as vaping, and flavored tobacco products. It also prohibits mail-order deliveries, coupons for discounted tobacco, and small pack sales.
The legal smoking age to buy tobacco is 21 years in the State of California.
Final approval of the ordinance is scheduled for December 17 and could take effect within 90 days if approved.
County Supervisors Consider Flavored Tobacco Ban
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors are meeting Tuesday to discuss a ban on flavored tobacco.
The ban will only be effective in the unincorporated areas of the county.
The proposed ordinance or County Code Chapter 37A – Licensure to Tobacco Retailers will include language that provides strengthened public health requirements for tobacco retailers in an effort to prevent youth exposure to tobacco, including electronic smoking devices and flavored tobacco products.
“The amendment provides a multi-pronged approach to address underage nicotine use and regulate businesses to prevent youth access to nicotine and tobacco products. The amendment includes language to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products, prohibit small and inexpensive pack sizes, prohibit coupons that allow a consumer to purchase a tobacco product for less than the full retail price, prohibit the sale of any tobacco product to a consumer through a multiple-package discount or otherwise provide any such product to a consumer for less than the full retail price. This item will prohibit the mail-order, home delivery of tobacco products to consumers,” according to the county’s website.
The City of Santa Maria has already approved a similar ban.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports 42 people have died from complications with vaping prompting many local governments to take action.
ZEROHAWK. You are “seriously” behind the times. Back in your Grandad’s day population was a heck of a lot less. We weren’t crammed in together, a constant crowd. Why do you think smoking is banned? It’s to keep our lungs a bit clearer and to keep the air cleaner. Any smoke is bad smoke, flavored or otherwise.
SANTABARBARAOBSERVER. Such an immature rant.
SB Observer. Very funny and sadly so true.
“The ban will on be effective in unincorporated areas of the county” Lmao so not only can people just drive a few miles to SB and get it but the geniuses at the SB Sheriff will be in charge of enforcement? I don’t vape and dislike it but what a total joke of a law.
Don’t be fooled people. Once the tax on tobacco passed here a few years back, the local tobacco shops took a hit. I know alot of people who buy their tobacco in bulk online for literally 1/4 of the price of what they charge in the local stores (these are people who roll their own). And ever since vaping hit the scene, they are suffering too as people turn to that versus regular smoking. The local tobacco shops are suffering and they have a part in this – especially the part about stopping online ordering for less than retail. I’m sick of these special interests – dig deeper and I bet the tobacco shops have a hand in this – no doubt. If this was truly about underage smoking/vaping, then they should be equally as concerned about the prolific underage drinking problem AND DEFINITELY the rampant use of Adderral and opiates in underage persons and they’ve done NOTHING to ban any of those so please already – don’t be fooled by what is really behind this.
if this is targeted to underage users, then why prohibit mail order to “consumers”, and mail order for less than retail? WHY! How does that have anything to do with use by those underage? It doesn’t is the answer. This law is a ruse – kids aren’t buying these things mail -order. It’s already been proven that the recent vaping illnesses were linked to black market products containing THC and vitamin E oil as a carrier – which solidifies in the lungs and blocks the airways.
I’m not sure how you can ban mail order products….
Every new regulation requires more county employees to enforce it. Of course the current crop of supervisors support the nanny state – telling people what they can and can not do as well as hiring more of their union buddies to enforce all these new regulations. No, this is not worthy of consideration. If people want to make stupid consumer choices, let them. PSA’s are good enough.
1:53, which store do you work for? All of these measures are necessary to prevent kids from getting hooked on nicotine, which is reportedly more addictive than cocaine. They are not trying to prevent kids from dying, they are trying to prevent lifelong addictions to nicotine, whether through vaping or smoking. But preventing the serious lung diseases is an added plus.
Til the City wakes up in and implements their own ban.
Yes, but please continue to purchase legal cannabis because we like the tax money.
Sincerely,
Your Elected Officials
Forget nicotine, when are we going to worry about being addicted to hamburgers and pizza?!
Parvopup – there’s a huge difference between flavored tobacco products and cannabis, legal or not. Tobacco can kill you, cannabis cannot.
I don’t use this stuff, but really don’t think some city employee should have a right to tell us what we can and can’t inhale/smoke/enjoy.
My great grandfather smoked a pipe, with flavored tobacco. There are cigar shops in town. This is serious over reach.
Dear Supervisors;
While you are considering things, please include a ban on:
Loitering, vagrancy, encampments in the bushes, open drug use, using sidewalks as toilets, midnight prowling by meth addicts on bikes, cars & motorcycles racing on Cabrillo,
reckless driving on 154, baby gang-bangers, litter-bug-animal chasing-cig butt tossing tourists, & dogs crapping everywhere?.
Thanx.