Manhattan Beach To Ban All Tobacco Sales Within The City

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an ordinance banning tobacco sales, which will include cigarettes and electronic smoking devices such as vapes, within city limits, the City announced last week. The ordinance will go into effect Jan. 1, 2021.

"With the passage of this landmark ordinance, Manhattan Beach becomes only the second jurisdiction in United States history to prohibit the sale of all tobacco products," Mayor Nancy Hersman said. "Smoking in public has been prohibited in Manhattan Beach for many years and this ordinance sends a strong message that any tobacco use or sale is not acceptable in our City."

The City Council said they recognize the dangers of tobacco use and that tobacco is the "single deadliest consumer product," which causes millions of premature, preventable deaths, the news release said.

"Tobacco use continues to be an urgent public health threat, as evidenced by the fact that 480,000 people die prematurely in the United States from smoking-related diseases every year, making tobacco use the leading cause of preventable death," the City said.

Tobacco retailers can apply for a hardship exemption or extension in order to demonstrate that the ban would cause a hardship to their business from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, the City of Manhattan Beach news release said.

For more information on current tobacco regulations in Manhattan Beach, visit the City website. For resources to help quit smoking, visit www.citymb.info/QuitSmoking.