Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Carole Groom, District 2
Supervisor David J. Canepa, District 5
Subject: Ordinance to add a new Chapter 4.95 to Title 4 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code to prohibit the sale or distribution of electronic cigarettes
RECOMMENDATION:
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Introduction of an ordinance adding a new Chapter 4.95 to Title 4 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code to prohibit the sale or distribution of electronic cigarettes and waive the reading of the ordinance in its entirety.
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BACKGROUND:
Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable death and disease in San Mateo County. Data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) indicate that there were 47,066 smoking-associated hospitalizations in San Mateo County between 2006 and 2010. Treatment costs for these hospitalizations were $566,797,878; with $20,780,822 of this total spent at the San Mateo Medical Center.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has been at the forefront of enacting legislation that controls the impact of tobacco use in the community. Ordinances previously enacted by the County include those requiring smoke-free multi-unit housing facilities, workplaces, and restaurants; banning tobacco self-service displays; requiring licenses for tobacco retailers; prohibiting smoking within 30 feet of doors/windows in County owned or operated buildings; and requiring smoke-free County campuses. Local laws such as these have helped lead to the State's implementation of statewide policies on these issues.
In order to minimize the number of children who start to smoke and become addicted to tobacco, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) implemented a ban on flavored cigarettes. However, the ban did not include menthol flavored cigarettes or other tobacco products other than cigarettes. In 2018, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors enacted ...
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