Beverly Hills votes unanimously to outlaw most tobacco sales

The City Council of Beverly Hills, California, voted unanimously on Tuesday night to outlaw almost all sales of tobacco products in the affluent Los Angeles suburb.

Why it matters: In what's believed to be the first such ban in the U.S., cigarettes, cigars and electronic cigarettes will no longer be sold at gas stations, pharmacies, convenience stores or by grocers in Beverly Hills starting Jan. 1, 2021.

The big picture: The council said in a statement that existing lounges would be exempt and hotels — existing and future — may only sell to guests when the ban comes into effect. It will conduct a review of the impacts on tourism after 3 years of the ban being in place.