By Miles Gaskin/Orange County Tribune

On Tuesday night, the Huntington Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve new regulations on smoke and tobacco shops.  The city council met at the Huntington Beach public library instead of city hall.

These regulations come amid concerns from the community that smoke shops in Huntington Beach are too accessible to younger people. The regulations limit the construction of new smoke and tobacco shops to commercial areas, and not residential ones.

 The regulations also demand that all smoke or tobacco shops have a minimum of a 1,000 foot separation from hospitals, or youth populated areas, which include schools, childcare facilities, libraries, parks, and youth centers.

The regulations also require all smoke shops in Huntington Beach put up two specific signs in the front of their stores.

One sign is a notice that all children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to enter the store.  The second has a phone number on it, where unlawful tobacco sales can be reported.

The new regulations are an attempt to make smoke shops less accessible for young people, as well as limit the concentration of smoke shops in the Huntington Beach community.

Councilmember Casey Mckeon described the project as his “little tobacco baby” which had been in the works for a full year.

“Residents have expressed concern about the over proliferation of tobacco shops, and the distance to sensitive areas like Edison High School.”

Councilmember Dom Kennedy agreed with Mckeon and said he supported the new regulations.

“This is well overdue and completely necessary,;great job by everyone involved.”