Update: Here’s what Modesto council did about tobacco shops suspected of illegal sales
Modesto has imposed a 45-day moratorium on new tobacco shops, prompted by complaints about drugs and other crimes.
The City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday night on the proposal from Police Chief Brandon Gillespie. He said it would give officials time to draft tighter rules on the businesses.
Gillespie said almost all of the 41 licensed shops have sold menthol and other flavored tobaccos since the state’s voters banned them in 2022. The measure’s backers said these items appeal especially to young users.
Gillespie said some shops also have had illegal drugs and gambling machines on their premises. And he cited an emerging concern statewide about especially potent forms of cannabis not covered by the recreational use law.
Modesto High student supports pause
Anti-tobacco activist Sabrina Toor, a junior at Modesto High School, spoke in support of the moratorium.
“I watch groups of students gather in the locker rooms and restrooms, sharing fruity-flavored vapes like blue raspberry or mango flavors,” Toor said. “These products are highly addictive and are pulling more and more of my peers into tobacco usage, affecting not just their health but their academic success.”
The moratorium applies to retailers that devote at least 15% of their square-footage to tobacco. It exempts grocery and other stores where these products are a minor share.
The ordinance bars tobacco shops that are new, expanding or relocating. The council could extend it beyond 45 days if needed.
No one spoke against the moratorium at the meeting. The California Association of Retail Tobacconists endorsed it in an email Monday to The Modesto Bee. “We encourage all tobacco retailers to comply with all state and local laws to avoid the consequences of possible legal repercussions,” President Charles Janigian said.
One tobacco tastes like ‘cookies and cream’
Gillespie displayed photos from a March raid on half a dozen smoke shops. One showed edible cannabis in a package similar to SweeTarts candy. Another was of loose-leaf tobacco with a “cookies and cream” flavor.
Police said the raid also found gambling machines, drug paraphernalia, psychedelic mushrooms and a firearm. Eight people were arrested in the operation, conducted in partnership with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Tobacco retailers need a state permit and a city business license. Council members raised concerns about lost tax revenue from shops that open without permission.
In urging the council to pass the ordinance, Modesto resident Jerry Thompson noted that he suffers from asthma. “These young kids, they don’t realize the damage that they’re doing to themselves,” he said.
Thompson said the new rules should include shutting down shops that fail to comply. And he urged that all of them have window coverings that keep the goods out of view from the sidewalk.
