Beverly Hills Bans Sale Of Tobacco Products – Except Where The Wealthy Smoke
By Ashe Schow @asheschow
Beverly Hills, California, voted this week to become the first city in the nation to ban the sale of tobacco products within the city limits, except for three high-end cigar lounges where the wealthy hang out.
The city council voted Tuesday to approve the ban, which would apply to gas stations, convenience stores, pharmacies, and grocery stores. High-end hotels are also exempt, but can only sell the products through concierge services.
Wealthy residents, including actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, lobbied the city to exempt their favorite haunts.
“Great cities are defined by their great people, places and institutions, and the Grand Havana Room is a signature location where these three things come together in Beverly Hills,” Schwarzenegger wrote in a March 11 letter to the city panel considering the policy, according to CNBC.
“It is unthinkable that the city might adopt a policy that would intentionally or unintentionally cause the closure of this character-defining institution, and it should not do so,” he added.
Nick Miller, who operates a gas station in the city, told CNBC before the vote that it would hurt his business. Further, he told the outlet it was hypocritical of the city to carve out exemptions for the elite.
“The level of hypocrisy that has been displayed at this time by the Beverly Hills Council is just astonishing,” he said. “They’re allowing hotels to maintain the sale of cigarettes because apparently [sic] to somebody buying a $4,000 a night room.”
full story at https://www.dailywire.com/news/47587/beverly-hills-bans-sale-tobacco-products-except-ashe-schow