LOS ANGELES: City Council Proposes Tobacco License for Retailers
Retailers in Los Angeles may soon need a special sales permit to sell tobacco under a city council proposal designed to limit children's access to tobacco products, the Los Angeles Times reports. Retailers would not be charged for the license which could be renewed annually. However, any store caught repeatedly selling tobacco products to minors could have their license revoked. The city council gave preliminary approval last week for the permit program by a vote of 11-1, with Councilman Nate Holden casting the dissenting vote. Holden argued that the proposed penalties "were not severe enough." Under the program, two teams of investigators would monitor underage sales using young "sting" operatives who would attempt to buy tobacco products. The program's $750,000 yearly price tag would be siphoned from the tobacco settlement (4/27).
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