It’s been an anti-tobacco 18 months for the city of El Cerrito, Calif., and this week tobacco retailers took yet another hit as the city council passed a new licensing requirement and restrictions on what they can sell and where they can be located. At Tuesday’s city council meeting, a new tobacco retailer license requirement was passed, something that will take $485 out of a shop owner’s pocket when it goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2016. Annual renewals will cost $439. The city council also approved a ban on the sale of flavored tobaccos and a requirement that tobacco retailers be at least 1,000 feet from existing retailers and 500 feet from schools, parks, libraries and recreation centers. An exception can be made for areas of the city that are underserved by general stores that may carry tobacco, but those businesses would be required to get an exemption from the city before opening. Retailers will also be required to post signage that tobacco products are only available to those persons over 18-years-old, it will require any employee to be at least 18 in order to sell tobacco, and prohibits the sale of single cigars under $5 as well as ...
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