Public and council press for stronger tobacco retail rules; staff asked to return with options

A broad cross‑section of residents, public‑health staff and state investigators pressed the Redding City Council on Tuesday to tighten local controls on tobacco and electronic smoking-device sales, focusing attention on vape and smoke shops.

Public-health and school representatives described local youth vaping rates and urged a local retail-licensing program, density limits and proximity restrictions near schools and parks. Kathy Grindstaff, a Tobacco Education Coalition volunteer, told council: “One Juul pod is equal to 41.3 milligrams of nicotine,” and urged limits to protect young people. Members of Girls Inc. and middle-school students described vape shops near schools and called for stricter local rules.

State investigators from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) reported recent enforcement visits. Norm Lessard, CDTFA supervising investigator, said recent inspections of smoke shops produced seizures and citations: “We've had…6 inspections, 6 seizures, and 6 citations” during the agency’s most recent visits, and he described repeated illicit activity, including contraband and other illegal items discovered at some shops.

Several local retail owners that sell a spectrum of products — gas stations and convenience stores — told council they already use ID‑scanning software and invest in tills, security and employee training. Those speakers argued a license fee that treats all sellers identically would unfairly burden lawful retailers who sell many goods and already deploy age‑verification measures; they favored focusing regulation on specialty smoke and vape shops.

Redding Police Chief told council the department received a grant to conduct decoy and undercover operations; the department’s work will increasingly include retail inspections coordinated with county public‑health partners. Chief Barrick said police will train officers on retail inspection procedures and that enforcement work should include sworn officers due to safety concerns during inspections.

After extended public comment and inter‑council discussion, councilors asked staff to return with a set of options for council consideration: a targeted tobacco retail license directed at vape and smoke shops (with precise legal definitions), a broader tobacco retail-licensing approach, zoning/density and proximity (youth‑oriented facility) options, and as an alternative, a local ban on e‑cigarette sales. Staff was asked to include recommended fees or fee tiers, enforcement responsibilities (police vs. code enforcement), and legal analysis showing which approaches are most enforceable. Councilors also asked staff to consider phasing options and to estimate program costs and fee levels.

No immediate ordinance was adopted; instead staff was directed to return with model language and at least two or three options — recommended, legally enforceable, and most stringent — for council review.

Ending: Council members said they want to take a methodical approach and examine model ordinances and zoning options from other jurisdictions before making final policy choices. Several councilors and staff said the city should prioritize options that focus on the highest non‑compliance areas first.