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Ortega’s bill would bar tobacco sales at outlets that include pharmacies; supporters cite health duty, critics warn of pharmacy closures

5115500 · June 30, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Assemblymember Ortega proposed AB 957 to prohibit the sale of tobacco products in any retail location that includes a licensed pharmacy, arguing pharmacies should promote health rather than sell a product that causes disease.

Assemblymember Ortega presented AB 957 as a focused public‑health step to remove tobacco products from licensed pharmacies statewide. Ortega said pharmacies are health‑care settings where patients seek medications and preventative services, and she argued tobacco sales are inconsistent with that role.

Health professionals and organizations provided the principal testimony in support. Dr. Lisa Croon, a UCSF clinical pharmacy professor and co‑director of UCSF’s Fontana Tobacco Treatment Center, described pharmacies as an access point for smoking…

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