The City Council directed staff to draft an ordinance that would:
1) require Alameda tobacco retailers to pay an annual fee for a City license to sell tobacco so the City can hold retailers accountable
2) ban menthol and other flavored tobacco sales citywide
The purpose of this survey is to get community feedback on this proposed ban before it is brought to Council for adoption in November.
In 2016, California raised the smoking age to 21 and increased the tobacco tax by $2 per pack. Today, California is one of six states where you have to be 21 to buy cigarettes and has the 9th highest cigarette tax at $2.87 per pack.
The FDA recently declared the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers an epidemic and said flavors play an important role in driving the youth appeal.