San Jose approves moratorium on new tobacco retailers, bans sale of nitrous oxide at smoke shops

With an unusually high concentration of smoke shops in East San Jose, Councilmember Peter Ortiz cannot be accused of using hyperbole when he says that if you throw a rock there, you are likely to hit one of those stores.

But after years of attempting to rein in the problem, the San Jose City Council has approved a temporary moratorium on tobacco retailers and a ban on nitrous oxide sales in those establishments — efforts it says that put the well-being of youths and their families first.

“Both these items take an important step to protect the health and safety of our residents by closing a dangerous gap in our laws,” said Ortiz, who represents District 5. “Over the past several years, East San Jose and other working-class neighborhoods have seen a dramatic rise in smoke shops, often loca