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The smoke has not yet been dispelled, but Beverly Hills is on the verge of becoming the first US city to put a stop to most tobacco sales, reports the AP. The city council, located in the world-renowned enclave of the rich and famous, said on Tuesday unanimously that it was ready to halt most sales at its next meeting on May 21. The proposal currently contains a loophole allowing cigarette-loving tourists to get cigarettes in hotels. Three plush cigar shows would also be exempt from the ordinance. The city "has always taken the lead in tobacco control," said Mayor John Mirisch. "Let's try to be a light for other cities if we can." Beverly Hills already restricts the sale of menthol and other flavored tobacco products and prohibits smoking in hotel rooms and restaurants.
Under the proposed legislation, 24 tobacco establishments, primarily gas stations, grocery stores and convenience stores, are expected to empty their shelves of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products as early as next year. At Tuesday's hearing, service station owners denounced the measure, claiming that it was unfairly targeting their businesses and that the loss of revenue would likely force them to lay off employees. Some say that they are considering legal action. "I've been doing this for 40 years, and I can tell you that the main reason people come to a gas station is for gasoline and cigarettes," said John Pouldar, whose Family has owned the popular Union 76 for decades. Public health advocates say they sympathize, but retailers need to understand that their industry is changing and it is now well known that the tobacco products that they sell hurt, or even kill people.
(Read more stories of tobacco.)
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