Santa Cruz, Calif. may be best known for its boardwalk, but this week it got attention for becoming the latest city to pass a ban on flavored tobacco products.

The city council came to the meeting with several options on the table for such a ban, and ultimately decided on the most restrictive. The city was also considering restricting flavored tobacco sales to adults-only specialty shops, or restricting sales around parks, schools and other places where young people frequent.

The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

Santa Cruz is home to approximately 65,000 residents.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.