Livermore, Calif. Bans Flavored Tobacco Products

On Monday night, the Livermore City Council unanimously passed a total ban on the sales of flavored tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery devices within city limits, bringing them into a growing group of cities in the Bay Area to pass such a prohibition.

Additionally, a new requirement will force tobacco retailers to be at least 1,000 feet away from places frequented by children, such as schools, libraries, parks with playgrounds, along with other spaces. They are also now required to get a new, annually-renewed license in order to continue selling tobacco products.

While the date of the ban hasn’t been confirmed yet, the ordinance says it could be as early as Aug. 8.

Livermore joins a number of Bay Area cities in passing similar bans, including San Francisco, Alameda, San Rafael, Berkeley and Oakland. While not in the Bay Area, the state’s capitol city, Sacramento, has also passed its own ban. However, as the push to ban flavored tobacco grows at the local level, a bill in the state legislature failed earlier this year.

Livermore is home to just over 90,000 people, located 45 miles east of San Francisco.