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9.A. - Page 4 of 31 State Guidance and Regulations During the last state legislative session, the State Senate introduced two bills that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and related e -cigarette products statewide. This legislation however did not pass. On January 6, 2020, a coalition of State Senators (including State Senator Jerry Hill) re -introduced legislation, Senate Bill 793, that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in brick -and -mortar stores or vending machines, including menthol cigarettes and the flavored e -cigarettes that experts say are to blame for the rise in youth vaping. This bill is currently under review by the Senate Committee on Health. In the coming months, the City Council's Governance Committee will discuss whether to submit a letter of support for this bill. Additionally, Governor Newsom has pledged $20 million for a public awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping nicotine and cannabis products. The state has also pledged to step up efforts to prohibit the sale of illicit products and is exploring additional warning signs at retailers and in advertisements. ANALYSIS If the City Council would like to ban flavored tobacco and e -cigarettes, you may direct the City Attorney to prepare a draft ordinance for the City Council to consider. The ordinance can be largely modeled after the San Mateo County ordinance. While consistency with the County ordinance will help with enforcement, the City Council may still want to consider the following policy issues: • Should the flavored tobacco ban extend to menthol and mint -flavored tobacco products? • Should hookah bars and smoking lounges be exempt? • Should the sale of tobacco products be prohibited in pharmacies? (The San Mateo County ordinance prohibits sale of all tobacco products on the rationale that pharmacies are places of wellness.) NEXT STEPS Should the Council wish to proceed with an ordinance, City staff plans to collaborate with the San Mateo County Tobacco Prevention Program, and the San Mateo County Tobacco Education Coalition, to host a community outreach meeting to solicit input from the greater Redwood City community. Additionally, staff will seek input from community stakeholders such as Redwood City 2020, the Redwood City San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce, Redwood City School District, Sequoia Union High School District, Belmont Redwood Shores School District, Downtown Business Group, Redwood City Improvement Association as well as the City's Neighborhood Associations,. Furthermore, the City's economic development team will conduct business outreach to all 16 tobacco and vaping businesses within the City, and mail a letter to all tobacco sales permittees (liquor stores, convenience stores, gas stations). The following timeline illustrates the proposed actions to facilitate the development and adoption of an amendment to Redwood City's Local Smoking regulations to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco and e - cigarette products. 4of6 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 281