"San Jose is poised to enact a temporary moratorium to block the establishment of new tobacco shops throughout the city as officials draw up a long-term plan to regulate such businesses. The San Jose City Council is set to consider a measure Tuesday that would halt the issuance of new licenses for local tobacco businesses - including retailers, smoke shops and smoking lounges - for as long as two years."
"Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who introduced the moratorium, said these problems have taken a disproportionate toll on his own District 5, which encompasses the predominantly Latino neighborhoods of East San Jose. The district includes an especially high concentration of smoke shops - nearly seven per square mile, according to a countywide assessment conducted earlier this year. That's twice as high as the rest of Santa Clara County."
San Jose officials propose a temporary moratorium to halt new tobacco shop licenses for up to two years while developing a long-term regulatory plan. The pause would cover retailers, smoke shops and smoking lounges and respond to complaints that some establishments enable illicit controlled-substance sales and sales to minors. District 5 in East San Jose faces a particularly high concentration of smoke shops, disproportionately impacting working-class and immigrant communities. The moratorium would allow a review of existing rules and consideration of measures such as density limits to restrict smoke shop concentration by district.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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