Beverly Hills City Council Approves First-of-Its-Kind Local Tobacco Legislation

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Adult tobacco consumers only have about 18 months to buy tobacco products in Beverly Hills.

On June 4, the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously approved an ordinance banning the sale of all tobacco products within the city limits. The measure, which includes convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies and newsstands, goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Key provisions in the ordinance include:

• A permanent exemption/carve out for existing cigar lounges;
• Effective Jan. 1, 2021, hotels — existing and future — may only sell to guests; and
• A hardship exemption provision for retailers that demonstrate the ban would cause undue hardship.

The city council will review the measure's impact on tourism in three years, according to the city's website.

With the vote, Beverly Hills became the first city in the United States to prohibit the sale of cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and electronic cigarettes. However, it may not be the last.

According to CNBC, Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch said at the Tuesday meeting that Manhattan Beach is looking at adopting its own ban on the sale of tobacco products.