Beverly Hills Considers Ban On Sales Of Tobacco Products

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Beverly Hills City Council is considering a banning the sale of all tobacco products in the city. If the ban is approved, Beverly Hills could be the first city in the United States to prohibit tobacco sales, according to CBS.

Mayor Julian Gold and Vice Mayor John Mirisch proposed the possibility of banning the sale of cigarettes and all tobacco products within the City at a City Council Study Session Tuesday, according to Fox 11.

"We've been on a path, on a trajectory, to see what we can do to protect our citizens against the harmful impacts of smoking," Mayor Gold said at the meeting.

The city has already banned flavored tobacco and passed a law prohibiting smoking in all multi-unit housing in the city, which went into law Jan. 1. In Beverly Hills, smoking is currently only permitted at private smoker lounges, in designated hotel/motel areas and within the public right-of-way if actively traveling, according to CBS.

Gold, who is also a doctor, said Beverly Hills can be a leader in helping people quit tobacco by banning all sales, Fox reported. However, the proposal was met with concerns about how the ban would affect tourism in the city.

“Such restrictions are only going to make people feel like, it’s a such a place that it’s not welcoming,” art gallery manager Victoria Njau said.

It’s still unclear if or when a city ordinance will be introduced.

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