The town of Tiburon in Marin County is on the verge of becoming the first jurisdiction in Northern California to ban the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products. Last week, the Tiburon town council unanimously passed an ordinance that prohibits the sale of products such as vapes, traditional cigarettes, and oral nicotine pouches like Zyn. The only exception is for FDA-approved smoking cessation products. The ordinance aims to address youth nicotine addiction, as Marin County teens reportedly vape at more than double the statewide average.
Tiburon Mayor Holli Thier introduced the ordinance, emphasizing the need to protect future generations from nicotine addiction. “By banning all tobacco sales, we’re preventing youth from getting addicted,” she said. The ordinance will be presented for adoption on November 5 and, if approved, will take effect 30 days later.
Rhett Krawitt, a senior at Redwood High School and a member of the county health department’s Youth Advocacy Committee, expressed support for the ordinance, citing the prevalence of vaping among his peers. “If you walk into the bathroom, it’s just a wall of vape smoke,” Krawitt said…