Hayward City Council gives preliminary approval to new measures to protect youth from harmful tobacco and nicotine products
HAYWARD, Calif., July 8, 2020—The Hayward City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to legislation to end the sale of menthol cigarettes, other flavored tobacco products, and associated vaping and electronic smoking paraphernalia and devices in the city.
A second and potentially final vote on the legislation amending Hayward’s Tobacco Retail Sales Establishments Ordinance is scheduled July 14.
If given final approval, the updated ordinance also would ban tobacco sales at pharmacies and any retail store where prescription pharmaceuticals also are sold.
Additionally, it sets new minimum packaging and pricing for tobacco products, which along with other provisions are intended to promote public health and protect the City’s youth from harmful tobacco and nicotine products and tobacco industry marketing tactics.
The amended ordinance also establishes a monitoring program to encourage responsible tobacco retailing and hold businesses accountable for selling and distributing harmful and addictive tobacco and nicotine products to individuals under age 21.
Under the new ordinance, tobacco retail establishments would be given a six-month grace period to remove all prohibited products from their inventories.
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