NYC mayor pushes to move tobacco off store shelves

As we've reported previously on this blog, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has been pushing for new public health laws for the city as part of an effort to diminish the risk of obesity and other health factors for citizens. The most notable example was the mayor's sugary drink ban, which was shot down by the courts just one day before it was scheduled to go into effect earlier this month. However, the mayor has now presented another public health bill that he hopes will steer away customers from purchasing tobacco products.

On Monday, Bloomberg announced that he was introducing a piece of legislation for the city that would restrict convenience stores and other outlets that sold tobacco products from displaying such products in the open. There would be no restriction on the actual sale of items such as cigarettes or chewing tobacco. But, the products would have to be obscured from the view of the customer, whether they're kept behind a curtain or inside a cabinet or drawer.

"We know that out of sight doesn't always mean out of mind. But in many cases, it can," Bloomberg said at a news conference. "If it does, it will literally save lives."

Additionally, the mayor has called for a strict minimum price of $10.50 per pack for cigarettes sold in the city. He has also mandated that no discounts be applied to such products.

The move has already drawn criticism from convenient store owners and smokers for what many are calling unfair scrutiny for using or selling tobacco products. Many are also decrying the prices set on cigarettes, which, according to the New York Times, are the highest in the country, with taxes and fees sometimes dwarfing the actual price of the pack itself.

Local companies are encouraged to seek out the services of a Phoenix small business attorney to ensure that ordinances such as these do not catch them by surprise.

Categorised in: Business Law

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