Redondo Beach Agrees To Consider Banning Smoking

REDONDO BEACH, CA – The Redondo Beach City Council unanimously agreed to consider an ordinance at a Tuesday night meeting that would disallow smoking in public areas within the city and require a local retail license to sell tobacco products.

If the council passes a public smoking ban in the future, Redondo Beach will join Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, who have similar prohibitions, according to the City Council Administrative Report.

"In 2008, Redondo Beach banned smoking at beaches and in parks and recreational areas, and in 2012 smoking was prohibited in city-controlled areas," the report said. "Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach passed comprehensive smoke free bans in all public places in 2016 and 2014, respectively. In 2015, Manhattan Beach also passed a Tobacco Retail License that banned the sale of flavored products, and a smoke-free multi-unit housing policy."

At the Tuesday meeting, the council recommended staff to draft an ordinance, but there was debate on whether or not to include a ban on certain flavors of vaporizers – it was ultimately excluded, the newspaper said.

“I understand that argument about personal responsibility, but what’s missing is the cost related to smoking related illnesses,” Councilmember Todd Loewenstein said at the meeting. “It affects the economy and it’s something that’s clearly a societal problem.”

Read more at The Beach Reporter

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