Santa Cruz County in California has officially adopted a ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes and cigars in unincorporated areas, a move intended to reduce litter on the beaches.
Supervisors adopted the ban officially on Oct. 29 after voting unanimously in favor of it three weeks earlier.
Under the new law, for which enforcement does not begin until Jan. 1, 2027, stores will be subject to a temporary suspension of their tobacco licenses if they are found selling filtered cigarettes or cigars. Smoking filtered tobacco products remains legal.
“This is the most ubiquitous piece of trash you can find on the beaches,” said former Democratic Assemblymember Mark Stone at the Oct. 8 meeting. It’s been difficult to pass such a ban at the state level for political reasons, not practical ones, he told supervisors….