What’s an effective way to prevent a kid from vaping and smoking? Reduce their exposure. That’s the thought process behind Long Beach City Council’s consideration of a buffer zone between smoke shops and youth spaces.
City staff will report back to the city council within four months on the possibilities of amending the city’s zoning codes so that smoke and tobacco shops can’t be within a certain distance of schools, daycares, playgrounds, libraries, parks, rec centers and any space considered youth-oriented. These buffer zones would also apply to senior spaces like senior centers, nursing homes and convalescent homes.
“Exposure and access to tobacco products can be a key factor in whether or not a child or high school-aged student picks up unhealthy habits of smoking and vaping,” said Councilmember Megan Kerr, who brought the item forward with Councilmembers Tunua Thrash-Ntuk and Joni Ricks-Oddie. “Not only does proximity make the products easy to obtain, but the regular visibility normalizes and promotes the use of such products as commonplace in their everyday lives.”
According to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, one in 10 high school students have tried vaping at least once. Cities such as Covina, La Puente, El Cajon and Orange have buffer zones between smoke shops and schools ranging from 300 to 1,000 feet. There are currently no state regulations on the matter.
Long Beach municipal code currently zones smoke and tobacco shops as “general merchandise.” In order to implement a buffer zone, these shops would need a sub-category. The change would be modeled after the city’s regulations around cannabis shops, as they are not allowed to operate within 600 feet of schools, daycares, libraries or playgrounds.
City staff will also explore what regulations are possible for smoke shops already existing near these sensitive areas. The City may have to wait until the shop requests a permit renewal to implement any new buffer zones on an already existing business.
While the buffer zones around youth-oriented spaces are meant to prevent youth from getting into smoking, for senior spaces it’s more of a health concern. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, around 7% of seniors 65 and older have been diagnosed with asthma. Additionally, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which includes bronchitis and emphysema, affects one in 10 seniors 75 and older.
A man smokes a cigarette while waiting for the A Line train on the Los Angeles Metro Pico Station on Nov. 2, 2019. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Councilmember Thrash-Ntuk compared the rise of vaping to the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the 1900s.
“In the latter half of the 21st century it took significant and coordinated effort to reduce cigarette use and limit its impact on public health,” she said. “Today we’re facing a new generation of nicotine products and it is our responsibility to use those tools that are available at the municipal level to prevent history from repeating itself.”
Councilmember Ricks-Oddie pointed out how smoke and tobacco shops, similar to liquor stores, are usually concentrated in lower-income neighborhoods.
“This issue is also about fairness. Tobacco retailers are not evenly distributed throughout the city,” Ricks-Oddie said. “Research has shown these business types have a higher likelihood of being placed in lower-income communities and communities of color.”
Councilmember Kristina Duggan requested an addition to the item that would prohibit the sale of nitrous oxide at tobacco retailers and smoke shops. Councilmember Kerr asked that City staff include in their report if the City is able to prohibit an already existing shop from selling certain items in this current buffer zone item.
Thrash-Ntuk brought up the Second Street late night safety plan, since back in November she requested that smoke shops and liquor stores be included in the City’s analysis of the Belmont Shore area. She asked City staff to carry over many of the same analysis tools they used in the Belmont Shore report, which was published April 2. This would include a tobacco shop’s hours of operation, level of cleanliness and loitering concerns.
The item was approved unanimously by the city council.
Samantha DiazManaging Editor
Samantha is an award-winning journalist, sports fanatic and mother. She’s worked for the Signal Tribune for over three years and is passionate about covering environmental news, small businesses, mutual aid efforts and resources.
