Challenge
The City of Long Beach passed anti-smoking legislation in 1994. The legislation was passed by the city council, and also approved by the voters in a 1995 ballot initiative that banned smoking throughout the city and also indoors. In 1998, the State of California passed a law which banned smoking in restaurants and bars but specifically exempted cigars inside cigar lounges, unless local municipalities passed or maintain stronger laws already on the books.

The City of Long Beach had recently increased regulation and enforcement of the complaint driven ordinance on the eight cigar lounges located in the City. These lounges had been given valid business licenses to operate as cigar lounges in the city. Englander & Associates organized the 8 cigar lounges to form an association with the goal of changing the law on the books. By working with the city council offices, city attorney staff and the health department over a 6 month period, E&A was successful in crafting an ordinance that changed the law and allowed the lounges to operate as fully exempted cigar lounges.

Solution
E&A served as an advocate for “mom and pop” small businesses in town and allowed them to remain competitive with both surrounding communities and cigar sales on the internet. By doing so, smokers would be encouraged to come inside away from the public and in a “safe haven” atmosphere to smoke with grown adults who understand the risks. In addition, E&A worked with city council staff to create new standards for ventilation, food and drink sales and planning and zoning codes to prohibit the proliferation of new smoking lounges and create a one year moratorium to protect our clients while they operated under the new rules.

Result
E&A continues to advise the cigar association on strategic political and charitable giving in Long Beach.