Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending and restating Sections 5.81.010 and 5.81.070; and by repealing Chapter 5.94, all relating to the sale of flavored tobacco products, read and adopted as read.  (Citywide)
Thank you. And we'll go to the last item on the agenda, which is item 15. Communication from City Attorney Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code relating to the sale of flavored tobacco products red and adopted as read citywide. Get this. I need a motion, please. I have a motion by Councilmember Austin. Can I get a second on this reading by the. Can I get a second, please? Second by councilman saw public comment. Our first speaker for item 15 is any taken. Good evening, Mayor and city council members. My name is Annie. Hagan with Tobacco-Free Kids. I just am calling and staying on the line here just to say thank you. We're in strong support of ending the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and all tobacco products sell flavored tobacco products. The sweetened minty products are really aimed to lure kids with candy flavors and unfortunately hook them for the long term. So by passing this ordinance tonight, Long Beach will join over this about 70 cities in California that have passed similar ordinances. And I just wanted to call to to thank each of you sincerely for sticking up for Long Beach kids, even in the face of industry pressure. So thank you very much. Thank you. Your next speaker is Eva carbonara. An honorable mayor and city council. My name's Eva Carbonara, a District four resident and senior. I was in high school. I'd like to begin with a sincere thank you for all your continued support in the progression of the flavor ordinance, allowing us youth to voice their concerns and experiences. Involving the youth vaping epidemic. Tonight, I'd. Like to again stress the urgency of this ordinance. For years, youth have suffered at the hands of big tobacco and their deadly flavored products. Even prior to the pandemic, the rise of youth vaping devastated. The health of Long Beach schools and marginalized communities. And now, in. Recognizing the connection between youth vaping and contraction of COVID 19, the consequences of our inaction will be even more severe. However, with the renewal of the flavor ordinance, we work to ensure the safety of our city's youth, ensuring the safety of students like me from COVID 19 and nicotine addiction alike. Finally myself, along with the Concerned Youth of Long Beach, kindly ask for your support. Support in both passing this ordinance and our efforts as tobacco educators and advocates fighting for a healthier, happier flavor for Long Beach. Thank you. I think your next speaker is China pop ping pong. Hi, all. My name is Geneva and I'm a student at Cal State Long Beach. Throughout my journey in academia, I've learned the harmful impact of. Tobacco in our body. But in the past couple. Of years, I've really seen the real world impact of how tobacco companies target youth college students like myself, LGBTQ folk. And ethnic minority. Communities. It is so common to see high school and college students walking around with a flavored tobacco product on one hand and their phone on the other at all times, lowering access's key flavor to hook them in and nicotine keeps them dependent. I just want to thank our amazing council members who put the health of all these communities first, saving our youth from being lifelong dependance and see that tobacco is truly a public health issue. Thank you. Think your next speaker is Jakarta Robinson. Beating everyone. My name is Decatur Robinson and I'm with the youth leader for Sparkle Control Coalition. I attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in District six, Miami, now a freshman at the University of Southern California. I'm thankful for your continued support on the ban on flavored tobacco products. I've seen the epidemic of vaping among youth literally throughout my school career, and it still happens even during class. Since we're not in physical classrooms at this point in time, it would be fantastic to see the end of the glorification of flavored e-cigarettes among youth. We don't know the long term health effects of vaping, and I do not wish to see my fellow classmates become data used to prove just how awful vaping can be over time. Additionally, I'm also in support of this ban because I'm sick of seeing the black community used and killed for profit by big tobacco, specifically with menthol cigarets. The fact that 85% of black smokers use menthol cigarets. The fact that they're up to ten times more tobacco ads in black and brown communities. The fact that walking the ballpark is back in high school meant passing by smoke shops. The fact that black people are more likely to die from tobacco related illnesses despite smoking at rates similar to those of white people, is unacceptable. Your support in stopping and stopping this is encouraging, and I urge you to continue to help to help lift one of the numerous burdens that people of color already face in this country . The burden of tobacco from. Black and brown communities. As well as our youth. Thank you so much. Thank your next speakers, Kimberly Morales. Kimberly Morales. Our next speaker is Patricia Tippett. I've got one. Good evening. Seeing council. My name is that you had to be a junior who goes to junior high school. First and foremost, I will. Grad gratefully like to thank you for the support you have given on the flavor tobacco ban. I'm here to speak on behalf of the youth in Long Beach. I believe that flavored tobacco should be banned because according to research flavor. Products are more used in youth of older adults. Younger adults are 85% more likely to use favorite tobacco compared to ordering books, according to an article on the two incidents. Duckworth youth preferred the taste and smell compared to regular tobacco. This shows how flavored tobacco products can be attacked and approved to use. I urge you to approve this orients as is. Thank you for your time. I think your next speaker is Primo Castro. Good evening, major city council pretty Castro with the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network and strong support of this ordinance to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and the city of Long Beach. You're taking a great step in protecting our youth, protecting the residents of Long Beach on behalf of the American Cancer Society Construction Network. Thank you. And just please, let's approve this as soon as possible. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes public comment for this item. Thank you. That concludes the agenda. We do have some some closing of new business, so we need. To take a vote on this item. But. Oh, I'm sorry if you're absolutely right. Let's go ahead. And I do have a motion that I really call the motion. And the second I think I did. Yes, Councilman Austin and Councilwoman Sato. So let's go ahead and take a roll call vote. District one. District two. All right. District three. I. District four. All right. District five. I. District six. I. District seven. I. District eight. II. District nine. Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. And now we'll have the new business. Let's go ahead and begin with Council member Austin.