Santa Cruz scheduled to decide on flavored tobacco sale restrictions or ban during meeting

The city of Santa Cruz is considering three options for an ordinance which would either restrict or ban the sale of flavored tobacco within city limits.

People in support of a restriction or ban say the appeal of flavored tobacco products is dangerous for kids.

“It does hook the teenagers in a very bad way,” says Santa Cruz resident Johanna Weber. “They have enough to deal with nowadays and if we can prevent this that would be great.”

One of the restrictions which the city council could choose from include restricting the sale of flavored tobacco within 600 feet of any school, park or library.

In its report, the city says about 23 tobacco retailers would be impacted as they are located within that buffer zone.

Another option would be for tobacco stores to continue selling flavored tobacco so long as they don’t allow those under the age of 21 to enter their shop.

And then there’s the third option: an outright ban of the sale of flavored tobacco in all stores.

“Neither my husband or I are smokers and have never been so it’s never been on our radar,” says Ann Jensen. “I guess it’s a good thing because flavored tobacco makes it more appealing for kids.”

In its research Santa Cruz looked to cities like San Francisco and Half Moon Bay which they say have an outright ban of flavored tobacco sales in place.

The sale of flavored tobacco is restricted in some way in cities like Los Gatos, Oakland and Berkeley as well.

Santa Cruz will make its decision on a restriction or ban during its council meeting this afternoon.

The city says it did receive input on the ordinance in April from some tobacco retailers in the city.