Foster City Again Plans to Ban Flavored Vapes

Foster City, California, plans to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and e-cigarettes, with the city council to consider an ordinance at its next meeting. The city tabled the bill in August for lack of support.

“I firmly believe this is our opportunity to do right by our children,” Councilmember Sanjay Gehani said.

The council originally only planned to apply an ordinance to flavored tobacco, but a push from Gehani and Vice Mayor Jon Froomin at the Oct. 3 meeting to have a more stringent ban that includes e-cigarettes swayed Mayor Richa Awasthi and Councilmember Patrick Sullivan, according to the Daily Journal.

Staff will also bring back a tobacco resale license ordinance to address violations of the smoking ordinance ban brought. The ordinance, suggested by Froomin, will detail enforcement the city can take for those who defy the ban. Froomin said stringent enforcement was needed to be effective in the community.

The proposed ordinance would apply to convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations and other businesses.

Cities like Half Moon Bay, South San Francisco, Burlingame, San Carlos, San Mateo and Redwood City have prohibited selling flavored tobacco. The state has passed Senate Bill 793, signed into law in 2020, which calls for tobacco retailers not to sell flavored tobacco products.

However, the state has halted implementation due to a referendum calling for its repeal, stalling a decision. California voters in the November election will vote on the status of SB 793, called Proposition 31.