California in Brief : Oakland : Supervisor’s Restrict Tobacco Giveaways

Hoping to keep tobacco out of the hands of minors, the Board of Supervisors unanimously aproved ordinances that limit free distribution of cigarettes and regulate locations of vending machines. Tobacco companies “prey upon young people who are already down on their luck. You don’t see them distributing free cigarettes in Piedmont or Beverly Hills,” said Supervisor Don Perata, who sponsored the ordinances. In limiting the distribution of cigarettes, tobacco companies must have a permit to stage a giveaway and can only distribute at certain hours in specified locations.