Title
ORDINANCE Amending Chapter 4.36 of the San Leandro Municipal Code Prohibiting the Sale of Menthol Cigarettes in San Leandro, effective January 1, 2023
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AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN LEANDRO TO AMEND CHAPTER 4.36 "TOBACCO RETAILERS" OF THE SAN LEANDRO MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCLUDE MENTHOL TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN THE DEFINITION OF FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS
WHEREAS, the California Constitution, Article XI, Section 7, provides cities and counties with the authority to enact ordinances to protect the health, safety, welfare, and morals of their citizens; and
WHEREAS, California courts have affirmed the power of a city to regulate business activity in order to discourage violations of law in such cases as Cohen v. Board of Supervisors (1985) 40 Cal.3d 277, Bravo Vending v. City of Rancho Mirage (1993) 16 Cal.App.4th 383, and Prime Gas v. City of Sacramento (2010) 184 Cal.App.4th 697; and
WHEREAS, local zoning controls allow local governments to regulate the operation of lawful businesses to avoid circumstances which facilitate violations of state, federal, and local laws; and
WHEREAS, based in part on the information contained in this section, the City Council finds that the failure of tobacco retailers to comply with all tobacco control laws, particularly laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors, presents an imminent threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City San Leandro; and
WHEREAS, approximately 480,000 people die in the United States from tobacco-related diseases every year, making it the nation's leading cause of preventable death;1 and
WHEREAS, the California Legislature has recognized the danger of tobacco use and has made reducing youth access to tobacco products a high priority, as evidenced by the following:
* The Legislature has declared that smoking is the single most important source of preventable disease and premature death in California; that keeping children from b...
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