Pittsburg to overhaul policies curbing underage consumption of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis

PITTSBURG Pittsburg is beefing up its ordinances in an effort to create a healthier society by limiting underage use and access to tobacco cannabis and alcohol Unanimously approved on first reading by the City Council this week and expected to be formally approved at a later date all tobacco retailers will be required to obtain a tobacco retailer s license The move is a shift from the current code which requires such a license only for retailers that are determined guilty of tobacco-related violations Related Articles AI-boosted smoke-sniffing wildfire sensors approved for Santa Clara County Former Santa Clara County child welfare physician accused of sexually abusing kids loses anatomical license Oakland to seize print shop property move oldest fire station there Family of LA County sheriff s deputy who died after fire at training facility files wrongful death suit States are telling sheriffs whether they can or can t work with ICE According to the city changing the tobacco retailer license requirements would allow Pittsburg to regulate monitor and enforce tobacco ordinance within the city Kelsey Gunter an associate planner with the city explained when the new rules take effect in January tobacco retailers who obtain licensing would also be subject to proximity requirements The rule would prohibit the establishment of new tobacco retailers within feet of a school day care club or lodge used exclusively as a youth center city-owned park space open to the residents religious assembly or library The ordinance also establishes a smoke-free buffer zone and prohibits smoking in population areas and multi-unit housing however this is not applicable to single-family homes unless it s used as a robustness care facility mobile home park hotel or motel campground or a single-family home with an accessory dwelling unit Gunter announced Pittsburg has consistently received an F from the American Lung Association s State of Tobacco Control record which tracks progress on tobacco policies and assigns grades based on a jurisdiction s specific control and reforms The grades are issued on an academic scale from A to F with an A representing an exceptional municipality and an F representing a jurisdiction that may need improvement declared Gunter While the city of Pittsburg has historically scored an F the ordinances before you this evening present an effort to raise that grade Once formally approved starting January new and expanding businesses that serve or sell alcohol will be required to have a conditional use permit A limit also will be placed on when alcoholic beverages can be sold from a m to p m daily Gunter declared a full-service restaurant that sells alcohol can continue to do so past the proposed ordinance s operating hours to further economic improvement for small businesses and restaurants Pittsburg also is looking to establish standards for commercial cannabis businesses in the city and is looking to expand the social host ordinance which at the moment regulates the consumption of alcohol by minors at social gatherings to include cannabis consumption The social host ordinance holds the person or persons responsible for such violations such as underage consumption of alcohol or cannabis and holds them accountable and violations of the ordinance include criminal citations administrative citations or injunctions disclosed Gunter Brian Davis a member of the Contra Costa Tobacco Prevention Coalition and project director of the LGBTQ Minus Tobacco project noted underage youth are getting tobacco products from retailers in the city In nine of the stores visited by state inspectors sold tobacco to an underage decoy Pittsburg stores commonly sell two and five packs of unflavored cigarillos like the one I bought in the present day five for declared Davis So minimum pack size requirement of two will not stop the sale of super cheap tobaccos to kids in Pittsburg and neither will a five-pack minimum Pittsburg Mayor Jelani Killings noted it was alarming to hear that nine out of retailers sold tobacco to underage youths That is something that has to be addressed from a agenda level so if we have within our public actors that are selling tobacco to youth this gives us a mechanism to say hey no now your license is revoked and you can t operate in our city mentioned Killings