San Leandro, CA Tobacco & Vaping: Flavored Tobacco Bans (2026)

Section 4-36-150(l) of the Tobacco Retailers chapter flatly prohibits any tobacco retailer, or the retailer's agents or employees, from selling, offering for sale, or possessing with intent to sell or offer for sale any flavored tobacco product. Section 4-36-100 defines a flavored tobacco product as any tobacco product containing a constituent that imparts a characterizing flavor, expressly naming menthol cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, dipping tobacco, bidis, blunts and electronic cigarettes or electronic smoking devices. Characterizing flavor covers any distinguishable taste or aroma besides tobacco itself, including fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, menthol, mint, wintergreen, herb or spice notes, and a product is presumed flavored if the manufacturer publicly claims it has a characterizing flavor or takes action that would lead consumers to believe it does.

The Chapter took effect on August 15, 2018 under Section 4-36-700. Because the ban sits inside the general licensing chapter, a flavored-tobacco sale is enforced the same way as any other Chapter 4-36 violation: it counts toward the license's 36-month violation history and can independently support license denial, suspension or revocation, on top of infraction or civil penalties.