Brentwood established an ordinance prohibiting tobacco retailers from locating within 500 feet of youth-oriented establishments. The city council refined the definition of youth-oriented establishments to include public and private K–12 schools and exclude alternative education facilities such as daycare or tutoring. Earlier proposals would have included libraries, youth centers, and businesses frequented by minors and required a 250-foot buffer. Business owners warned that broader restrictions could reduce revenue or close stores. Councilmembers narrowed the definition to avoid overbreadth while emphasizing youth protection. The school district requested assistance citing smoking and vaping problems on campus and difficulty supervising student bathrooms.
In May, the city had proposed that the tobacco ordinance also include public libraries, youth centers, and any business establishment likely to be frequented by minors, such as arcades, bowling alleys, or skating rinks, among others, to be defined as youth-oriented establishments. It also proposed a 250-foot distance requirement from those establishments.
However, business owners who sell tobacco-related products expressed concern that the change would reduce revenue or potentially put them out of business.
I wish we had an SRO (school resource officer) here because they can tell you the problems we have at our schools right now, the bathroom. My kids have graduated, thank God, because they couldn't even use the bathroom in the schools because everyone was smoking and vaping and doing things they shouldn't be doing, said Mendoza. Someone said that it's the parents and the teachers who should be doing things. It was our school that came up and said, Hey, we need help. We can't do this alone,
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