There have been local ordinances limiting the sales and availability of tobacco products in the past but none as restrictive as the one recently passed in Beverly Hills.
On June 4, 2019, the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously approved and ordinance that prohibits the sale of tobacco products in the city starting on Jan. 1, 2021.
Some key provisions of the ordinance include:
- A permanent exemption/carve out for existing cigar lounges;
- Effective January 1, 2021, hotels, existing and future, may only sell to guests;
- Effective January 1, 2021, all other businesses shall stop selling tobacco products;
- A hardship exemption provision for retailers that demonstrate the ban would cause undue hardship; and
- City Council review of the impacts on tourism in three years
The ban will affect nearly all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, dissolvable products, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and water pipes. The passage of the ordinance comes after the public had input and the city’s Health and Safety Commission made its own recommendations.
