Santa Maria City Council OKs ban on flavored tobacco products over protest of vaping fans
The city of Santa Maria has taken a first step toward banning flavored tobacco products used for vaping after hearing from a steady stream of those in support and against the proposal.
All five City Council members voted to introduce the ordinance for first reading Tuesday night. with the adoption planned for a meeting next month.
The law calls for implementing licensing of tobacco retailers in addition to banning the sale of flavored tobacco products such as those used in vaping products..
“We are attempting to do an overall licensing structure so that it provides us with the tools and information that we can use to further protect our youth and the health of our population,” City Attorney Thomas Watson said.
In addition to flavors such as cotton candy and different fruit, the council decided the ban would include menthol, mint and wintergreen.
Speakers included children and adults wearing T-shirts saying “Nicotine = body poison” and regular vape users holding signs saying “We vape. We vote,” with an overflow crowd spilling into the City Hall lobby.
Additionally, several community and educational leaders sent letters supporting the adoption.
Edwin Weaver, from Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, supported the measure, asserting that the vaping industry’s marketing has targeted youth.
“It’s unconscionable that we have let it go this far,” Weaver said. “I know it’s popular in the room for some, but we really need to protect this generation away from big tobacco.
“This strategy of marketing to our children has to stop, and the best place to stop is banning flavors so that they will no longer be attracted to these products that damage their lungs, that create all kinds of health problems, and get them addicted to nicotine,” Weaver added.
Santa Barbara County will consider a similar flavored-tobacco ban next month, according to Shantal Hover-Jones, a health educator with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department’s Tobacco Prevention Program.
In San Luis Obispo County, city councils in Arroyo Grande and Morro Bay passed bans on the sale of vaping-related products this month. Barring any changes during the second readings, those bans will go into effect in early 2020.
But several speakers said vaping products helped them quit regular cigarettes, calling for the council to reject the ban and instead enforce existing laws to keep the product away from minors.
“Banning the flavors takes everybody here who vapes and puts cigarettes back in their hands,” one former smoker said.
Larry Hislop, another smoker-turned-vape-user, said national stories about health troubles have stemmed from bootleg vaping products.
“This has nothing to do with the products that helped me quit smoking,” Hislop said. “It’s unfortunate everything’s been lumped together.”
Sellers who violate the law could received a $1,000 fine for a first incident and 15-day or 30-day license suspensions for later illegal sales before potentially facing revocation of a license if a retailer receives four violations in five years.
The new law won’t take effect until July 1, 2020, allowing stakeholders time to tweak the rules if needed, the city attorney said.