Tobacco and nicotine ban sparks backlash from business owners in coastal town
Officials in Tiburon, California, have moved to prohibit the sale of all tobacco.
On Wednesday, the town council unanimously passed an ordinance that would ban the sale of cigarettes, cigars, vapes, e-cigarettes and all other nicotine products.
Tiburon Mayor Holli Thier told Fox News Digital in a statement that she is “pleased to have sponsored” and “voted to save lives and save our environment.”
SMOKING BANNED FOR ENTIRE GENERATION UNDER SWEEPING NEW NATIONAL LAW
“With local youth in Marin County vaping at twice the national average, it is critical that we take all efforts to reduce teen addiction,” she added. “By banning all tobacco sales here in Tiburon, we are preventing youth from getting addicted and protecting our environment.”
Cigarettes are the biggest source of single-use plastic finding its way into rivers, bays and oceans in the world, Thier said.
An anti-tobacco group of high school students from across Marin County, the Youth Advocacy Committee (YAC), were present at a few town council meetings to advocate for the ordinance.
Diana Garcia, a YAC student, reiterated her strong support for the ban.
“I urge you to keep supporting this amendment to protect the health and future of our youth. You have a chance to set an example for communities to follow,” she said at the Nov. 5 meeting.
In 2022, nearly 50 million U.S. adults reported the use of any tobacco product, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The CDC also reports that smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause over 480,000 deaths each year, with “smoking harm[ing] nearly every organ of the body and caus[ing] many diseases.”
The 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine ranked Marin County as the healthiest California county.
“We remain committed to doing the hard work and changing the outcomes so all in Marin can thrive and live healthy lives,” said Niccore Tyler, Marin County’s health and human services’ chief strategy officer, at the time.
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The California Fuels & Convenience Alliance penned an opposition letter to the town council.
“We believe this complete prohibition sends a discouraging message to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Small businesses, including convenience stores and gas stations, are essential to communities and provide residents with convenient access to everyday necessities,” it read.
“Complete prohibitions on product categories, rather than reasonable regulation, send a message that small businesses may face unpredictable restrictions, creating uncertainty that discourages entrepreneurship and investment in Tiburon,” the letter continued.
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The ordinance is set to take effect in December.
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