Campbell City Council temporarily bans new tobacco shops as retailer numbers surge

One small West Valley city has some of the most smoke shops per person in Santa Clara County. Officials are taking steps to change that statistic.

The Campbell City Council unanimously approved a temporary ban Tuesday preventing new tobacco retailers from opening in the city for at least 45 days. Officials want to curb tobacco sales in a city with about one tobacco retailer for every 1,000 residents, or 42 in a city of nearly 42,000 people, according to Campbell data. Approximately six shops have opened since 2024, representing a 200% increase in new stores from previous years. Retail locations include standalone smoke shops and liquor and grocery stores.