City Government

Supervisor Wilma Chan: County Adopts Tobacco Retail License Ordinance

Published

5 years ago

January 23, 2020

Supervisor Wilma Chan announced the adoption of an ordinance that bans certain tobacco products that encourage youth consumption in the County’s unincorporated areas and requires all tobacco retailers in these areas to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.

The new law, which was passed 4-0 with one abstention by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, represents one of the strongest and most comprehensive tobacco retail licensing ordinances in both California and the entire nation.

The ordinance bans the sale of all flavored tobacco products – including menthol cigarettes – as well as the redemption of all tobacco-related coupons in the unincorporated communities of Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, Hayward Acres, San Lorenzo and Sunol. Retailers of tobacco products and paraphernalia must obtain a nontransferable license that requires an annual licensing fee and mandates checking IDs for customers who appear under the age of 27.

Following the Jan.14 adoption, the ordinance will go into effect in 90 days on April 13, 2020, with the flavored tobacco ban becoming effective in 180 days on July 5, 2020. Retailers should expect to receive written notification from Alameda County on the ordinance’s requirements in March, which will be followed later in the month by visits from County staff to retail stores as well as informational sessions for retailers in the unincorporated area.

Overwhelming evidence indicates that the tobacco industry continues to target young adults through the sale and marketing of flavored and mentholated tobacco, which are considered “starter” products that can lead to lifelong addiction and serious health risks.

The law prohibits new retail licenses within 1,000 feet of schools and youth-populated areas, within 500 feet of existing tobacco retailers, and to businesses that contain a pharmacy. The law also establishes a minimum sale price of $8.00 per cigar, pack of cigarettes, or pack of little cigars, while requiring a package size of at least 20 little cigars. A September study in the unincorporated area found that 83% of surveyed stores that sell little cigars offer them in pack sizes as small as one or two, with the lowest price for a single flavored product being $0.49.

Retailers in violation will be suspended from selling all tobacco products for 30 days for a first offense, 90 days for a second offense and one year for a third violation. A fourth infraction will result in license revocation, and all violations will remain on a retailer’s record for a five-year period. Enforcement of the licensing program will be conducted by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

Tobacco retail licensing programs have also been adopted by Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City.

Erika Brink, Wilma Chan’s Office

Posts by Erika Brink, Wilma Chan’s Office

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

Published

2 days ago

May 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.” Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Published

1 week ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Former Los Angeles Councilmember and California State Sen. Nate Holden. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a prominent figure in the city’s politics, passed away at the age of 95, his family confirmed on May 7.

Holden, who represented South Los Angeles for 16 years on the City Council and served one term in the California State Senate, was widely regarded as a forceful advocate for his community.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn described Holden as “a lion” in the State Senate and a force to be reckoned with on the Los Angeles City Council.”

Hahn added that she learned a lot working with Holden when she was a new councilmember.

Holden’s journey to political prominence began in the segregated South, where he was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1929. He often recalled the childhood moment when he first heard the governor of Georgia vowing to continue suppressing Black people.

“Doing the best you can for the people. Law and order. Make sure that people’s communities are safe. I did it all,” said Holden, reflecting on his legacy.

Holden is survived by his sons, including former California Assemblymember Chris Holden, who represented a district in Southern California that includes Pasadena and Altadena in Los Angeles County and cities in San Bernardino County.

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Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing

According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year.

Published

1 week ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in the Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland.

In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.

The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation.

Most of the homes affected were built prior to 1978, and 12,000 of these homes are considered to be at high risk for lead poisoning.

City councilmember Noel Gallo, who represents a few of the lead-affected Census tracts, said the majority of the poisoned kids and families are coming directly from neighborhoods like the Fruitvale.

“When you look at the [kids being admitted] at the children’s hospital, they’re coming from this community,” Gallo said at the town hall.

In order to eventually rid the highest impacted homes of lead poisoning, the city intends to create programs and activities such as lead-based paint inspections and assessments, full abatement designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint, or partial abatement for repairs, painting, and specialized cleaning meant for temporary reduction of hazards.

In feedback for what the city could implement in their programming, residents in attendance of the event said they want more accessibility to resources, like blood testing, and information from officials about lead poisoning symptoms, hotlines for assistance, and updates on the reduction of lead in their communities.

Attendees also asked how they’d know where they are on the prioritization list and what would be done to address lead in the water found at several school sites in Oakland last year.

City staff said there will be a follow-up event to gather more community input for programming in August, with finalizations happening in the fall and a pilot launch in early 2026.