Tiburon bans all sales of tobacco in first U.S. law with no exemptions

Tiburon has become the first city in the nation to ban all tobacco sales without exemptions.

The Town Council voted 4-0, with Vice Mayor Jon Welner absent, at its Nov. 5 meeting to formally adopt the ordinance after approving it Oct. 15. The ban is set to take effect Dec. 5.

The new law has little practical effect, as no businesses within town limits sell tobacco: CVS stopped selling tobacco nationwide in 2014, and the Tiburon Boulevard gas stations are in unincorporated Marin.

Tiburon joins Manhattan Beach and Beverly Hills in banning tobacco sales, but the laws in the two Southern California cities allow for exceptions. Beverly Hills allows hotels to sell to guests, and Manhattan Beach includes a hardship exemption for businesses.

Tiburon’s law does not apply to Food and Drug Administration-authorized products intended to help people quit smoking.

The local ban was first requested by the Youth Advocacy Committee, a group of Marin County high-school students working to reduce teen smoking, vaping and nicotine use. The group is also working to ban the sale of tobacco products in Ross; the Town Council there is scheduled consider a proposal Nov. 13, the city’s Planning and Building Director Roberta Feliciano said in mid-October.

The county is also taking action. The Marin Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 21 to approve a ban on vaping devices for nicotine and minimum pricing for all other tobacco products in unincorporated areas. That includes a $12 minimum for a 20-pack of cigarettes plus $2 for each additional cigarette, with an automatic $1 increase every two years.

A required second vote for adoption is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 18 and would take effect 30 days later, with enforcement beginning Sept. 1, 2026.

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