Young adult smokers in the City of Healdsburg may soon have a harder time getting their tobacco fix, thanks to a proposed ordinance which would raise the legal smoking age to 21.
The Healdsburg City Council voted 4 to 1 last week to move forward with the initiative, with a second vote scheduled for November 3. Once adopted, Healdsburg would become the first city in the state to ban tobacco sales for 18-20 year-olds.
Proponents of the ordinance say it’s all about promoting sound health.
“We are a community that prides itself on a healthier lifestyle in general,” said City Manager Marjie Pettus. “There’s a real focus on healthy eating here, with farm-to-table initiatives ... and this ties into that whole lifestyle that people really subscribe to.”
Council Member Gary Plass was the only member to vote against the ordinance. He expressed concerns over how the new rules would affect small business and noted that 18 is considered the legal age of majority under federal and state law.
“They can go a mile to the south or a mile to the north or a mile to the west and buy their cigarettes there,” Plass added.
Increasing the legal smoking age is a not a novel idea. Last year, New York became the first major city nation to raise the threshold to 21. The State of California has also flirted with the idea before.
In addition to the new age rules, the Healdsburg ordinance would require tobacco retailers to obtain a new license from the city at an estimated cost of $450. The revenue would be put towards enforcement of local tobacco laws, according to city officials.
Read more about the proposed ordinance here.