Livermore Considering Ban On Flavored Tobacco, E-Cigarette Sales

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LIVERMORE (CBS SF) - The Livermore City Council on Monday night will consider the addition of a new ordinance to ban the sales of all flavored tobacco products and electronic delivery devices in the city while introducing a 1,000-foot buffer zone between tobacco retailers and sites like schools and libraries.

The proposed ordinance would additionally include establishing a Tobacco Retailers License and requiring all retailers in the city to obtain one and renew it annually.

The city received information and data from the community and advocacy groups such as Flavor Hooks Kids, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition for Health Against Tobacco and Breathe California, among others, concerning the marketing of flavored tobacco and vaping products to minors and the corresponding increase in use by minors.

"The number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes rose from 2.1 million in 2017 to 3.6 million in 2018," a city staff report found.

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It argues that communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the marketing and popularized use of menthol cigarettes.

Monday's meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in City Council chambers at 3575 Pacific Ave.