San Francisco - Board of Supervisors tentatively approved banning stores with pharmacies from selling cigarettes..

September 22, 2010 - In 2008, San Francisco became the first city in the country to ban cigarette sales in drugstores such as Walgreens and Rite Aid, prompting a lawsuit from Walgreens saying it wasn't fair to allow grocery stores and big-box stores with pharmacies inside them to continue selling tobacco. The California Court of Appeal sided with Walgreens in June, prompting Supervisors Eric Mar and Bevan Dufty to craft legislation to close the loophole. (San Francisco - Walgreens tries to convince court it's a grocery store..; San Francisco - Judge threw out a Walgreens attempt to stop the ban of tobacco sales in pharmacies.. )

San Francisco's public health department director says it sends the wrong message, especially to kids. Mitch Katz says drugstores should be selling healthy items because people go there to buy prescription drugs and other products that help them get better. He doesn't expect the law to persuade any current smokers to quit, but said it might prevent youths from starting.

The new legislation is designed to close that loophole by extending the ban to formerly exempted stores. That means no more tossing a pack of cigarettes into the cart at Safeway or Costco. If approved at a final reading next week, Tuesday's vote closes the loophole.

References: SF Supes OK expanded ban on cigarette sales, Carolyn Tyler, KGO-TV/DT abc7, 9/21/2010; Board to vote on expanding ban on tobacco sales, Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/21/2010. For more information: San Francisco supes OK expanded tobacco sales ban by TREVOR HUNNICUTT For The Associated Press, DailyComet.com, 9/21/2010.

Some San Francisco related news briefs:
San Francisco - how much further?? restrictions on where you can smoke..;
San Francisco - Walgreens tries to convince court it's a grocery store..;
San Francisco - further smoking restrictions..;
San Francisco (SF) - launches new anti-smoking campaign..;
San Francisco may expand smoking ban..;
San Francisco - mulls proposal to reduce the number of stores that can sell tobacco..;
San Francisco - Philip Morris has dropped its lawsuit challenging San Francisco's prohibition on tobacco sales at pharmacies..;
San Francisco - Michael Jordan caught smoking on public golf course..;
San Francisco - cigarettes cost a little more starting today, October 1, 2009..;
San Francisco can enforce its ban on tobacco sales in drugstores..;
San Francisco - fight about selling tobacco products in drugstores has flared up..
San Francisco - Judge threw out a Walgreens attempt to stop the ban of tobacco sales in pharmacies..;
Philip Morris appeals tobacco ban at San Francisco pharmacies;
Federal Judge Denies Bid To Stop San Francisco Pharmacy Tobacco Ban..;
Philip Morris USA request stop in San Francisco's ban on tobacco sales by pharmacies..;
San Francisco - cigarette sales rise sharply in c-stores..;
San Francisco files brief to oppose bid by PM USA to block the banning of tobacco sales in pharmacies..;
Philip Morris challenges San Francisco pharmacy tobacco ban..;
Walgreen: San Francisco’s Tobacco Ban Is Unfair..;
San Francisco - All Tobacco Products Banned in All Pharmacies..;
San Francisco critical vote - bar tobacco sales pharmacies..;
SAN FRANCISCO Ban on tobacco at drug stores sought...

0 comments: