ZCZC
BFF-15
US-TOBACCO-BAN-BEVERLYHILLS
Beverly Hills poised to (almost) outlaw all tobacco sales
LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Posh Beverly Hills is poised to
outlaw the sale of all tobacco products — except at cigar lounges where the
rich and famous like Arnold Schwarzenegger are assured they can keep puffing
away.
Under the proposed ordinance, described as the first of its kind in the
nation, the sale of tobacco products would be banned starting in January
2021. An initial vote on the measure is scheduled for late Tuesday, with a
final vote is set for June 4.
Beverly Hills already has strict rules that outlaw smoking on sidewalks or
in multi-unit housing.
The new law would apply to the sale of cigarettes, pipe tobacco, chewing
tobacco and electronic cigarettes at gas stations, pharmacies, convenience
stores and other retailers.
“We are a city that has taken the lead on restricting smoking and
promoting public health,” Mayor John Mirisch said in a statement. “Somebody
has to be first, so let it be us.”
However three cigar lounges whose customers include celebrities and local
elites would be exempt from the ban.
Fearing that their beloved parlors could go up in smoke because of the new
law, aficionados in recent months flooded the Beverly Hills Health and Safety
Commission with letters urging that the clubs be exempt.
Rigoberto Fernandez, owner of the Buena Vista Cigar Club, wrote that a
radical ban would be devastating for his family and drive him out of
business.
Hollywood star and former state governor Schwarzenegger wrote in support
of the exclusive Grand Havana Room, which he called a “home away from home,”
where community members ranging from politicians to artists and rabbis are
known to gather.
“It is unthinkable that the city might adopt a policy that would
intentionally or unintentionally cause the closure of this character-defining
institution, and it should not do so,” Schwarzenegger wrote.
Even the chairman of cardiac surgery at the University of California, Los
Angeles has chimed in, saying he visits the Grand Havana Room several times a
week to kick back and have a cigar.
“At the end of a busy (day) doing cardiac surgery, I go to the Grand
Havana Room to relax and enjoy the company of friends,” wrote Richard Shemin.
The proposed ordinance has been met with mixed reactions, with some
business owners saying it would turn away well-heeled tourists while health
advocates insisting that it is the right thing to do.
City officials said they also expect legal challenges from tobacco
companies who stand to lose in sales.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0844 hs