New law in Healdsburg strictest in the state
A new law prohibiting sales of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21 took effect this week in Healdsburg.
Passed by the Healdsburg City Council last year, the law was promoted by local health advocates, including retired physician Dave Anderson, who testified before the council on multiple occasions.
Wednesday morning, the first day the new law was in effect, Parasto Farasati, the store manager at Rotten Robbie in Healdsburg, was optimistic that her staff understands and will follow the rules. “I hope it works,” she said. “I told everybody about it and I want them to do the right thing.”
Farasti said the store sells a lot of tobacco products and predicts that the restriction will hurt sales.
She said she has been informing customers about the new law. “It’s going to slow down, but some people are just going to drive a couple of exits (to another community) and buy there.”
Matthew Jenkins, a lieutenant with the Healdsburg Police Department, said that the 15 local merchants who are licensed to sell tobacco are cooperating.
“From what I’ve seen, the merchants are going to comply. They may not agree, but they’ll comply,” he said.
Jenkins said that most enforcement actions would be based on citizen complaints, but said that his department will conduct “compliance checks” that involve sending an underage decoy into a store to attempt to buy tobacco, similar to existing alcohol sting operations.
Healdsburg merchants are also required to purchase a special Tobacco Retailers License, which is processed along with regular business licenses.
Katherine Ahlborn, in the city’s finance department, said that, as far as she knows, all 15 tobacco sellers are getting the new license. “I haven’t had any complaints or questions so far,” she said.
State Assemblymember Jim Wood, who was a member of the Healdsburg City Council when the law was approved, introduced a similar bill that would outlaw tobacco sales to anyone under 21 on a statewide basis.
