Santa Cruz Bans Filters; Newport Beach Halts Smoke Shops

Newport Beach’s City Council enacted a 45-day moratorium on new smoke shops and tobacco lounges, citing an “immediate threat” to public health and safety from flavored tobacco use by minors and alleged illegal drug activity. City staff said police received 15 complaints about smoke shops in two years and executed warrants that uncovered illegal drug sales, and the moratorium will give the city time to consider tougher rules such as land-use permits, limits on hours of operation, and updates to the local coastal program. Separately, Santa Cruz County approved what officials call the world’s first countywide ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with the city of Capitola enforcing its ban beginning July 1, 2027. The county’s October 2024 vote had conditioned enactment on at least two other jurisdictions adopting similar measures, a threshold officials say was satisfied. County leaders say the ban targets cigarette-butt pollution—an estimated 4.5 trillion discarded filters annually—arguing filters are non‑biodegradable and offer no proven health benefit. Local public-health programs will provide outreach, retailer technical assistance and training for enforcement, and officials in both cities framed the actions as efforts to protect public health and reduce environmental harm.