California's Santa Cruz County announced that sales on filtered cigarettes will be banned in 2027, which officials say is the first ban of its kind.

In a statement Monday, the ban is taking effect after the City of Santa Cruz approved a similar ordinance in June and the City of Capitola approved a ban earlier this month. The county's Board of Supervisors initially approved the ordinance for unincorporated areas last October.

"Santa Cruz County is always at the forefront of making change. This policy adds to the legacy of our community standing up to big corporations to protect the health of our residents and our environment," Supervisor Justin Cummings said.

The county said the ordinance is the first filtered cigarette sales ban in the world, which seeks to protect public health and the

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