Vaping (Photo – sarahj1)
On Monday, October 25, the Pasadena City Council voted unanimously in favor of approving the amendment of Chapter 5.74 of the Pasadena Municipal Code to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products including menthol and hookah.
By Nicole Bernard
This item, championed by Councilmember Tyron Hampton, was originally brought to council on February 3, 2020 which resulted in a unanimous vote.
At the Council meeting, supporters of the ordinance argued that the tobacco industry purposely targets youth and the council needs to do the right thing. Deirdra Duncan-Gonzalez, Chair of the Pasadena Tobacco Prevention Coalition, stated that “We need to do something to protect our youth”.
“The tobacco industry is making things to attract kids by using candy or mystical creatures” stated Brianna age 14, “Are you a puppet or a puppeteer for the tobacco industry? I would like to know.”
Opposers of the ordinance stated that a ban on menthol products targets minorities and racially discriminates. Additionally, opposers encouraged council to adopt an ordinance that mirrored SB 793 which exempts hookah in establishments for those 21 and older.
Rima Khoury, founding member of the National Hookah Community Association (NHCA), asked council to adopt an ordinance that mirrors SB 793 which preserves the rich cultural history of hookah.
Khoury also stated that there isn’t a teen hookah epidemic and that according to the FDA and CDC (hookah) is one of the lowest used tobacco products compared to other categories. Khoury ended her comments by stating that the “ NHC welcomes reasonable regulations that addresses youth access and usage to flavored tobacco products.”
Los Angeles County currently has a ban in place that prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products including hookah that went into effect May 1, 2020.
The City of Pasadena also has adopted other tobacco related ordinances including Smoke Free Multi-Unit Housing, Smoke Free Dining, and a Tobacco Retail License. This item will return to council for a second reading.
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