Tobacco Retail Licensing
Why Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinances and Flavor Bans Make a Difference!
Local Marin youth speak out about how easy it is for youth to get e-cigarettes in local communities: http://www.marinij.com/opinion/20180411/marin-voice-officials-need-to-address-the-new-vaping-craze
FDA describes E-Cigarettes on this link: https://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/ProductsIngredientsComponents/ucm456610.htm
Change Lab Solutions provides resources for local communities to help prevent youth nicotine addiction due to easy access to youth-appealing nicotine delivery devices, products, and tobacco: http://changelabsolutions.org/landing-page/tobacco-sales
Check out Tobacco-Free California's "Still Blowing Smoke" Campaign on how youth get poisoned and addicted by the tobacco and electronic smoking devices industries: http://stillblowingsmoke.org/#health
E-Cigarettes cause painful and deadly fires: just one of many reasons why local governments have chosen to regulate them at the local level. For more reasons, check out the Flavor Trap from Tobacco-Free Kids: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/microsites/flavortrap/
Tobacco-Free Kids also provides a great fact sheet on why e-cigarettes should be regulated at the local level: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0387.pdf
Most tobacco users today got addicted when they were under the age of 21.
Many end up quitting in a coffin after a very painful disease, such as cancer, heart attacks, strokes, or emphysema.
Communities, including city councils and law enforcement, work together to keep youth from becoming addicted to any drug, including nicotine.
Although it is against the law to sell tobacco to underage youth (under 21), some merchants continue to sell to youth. They consider the penalties to be a business expense. Experiences in other communities have shown that a tobacco retailer licensing (TRL) ordinance is the only way to stop stores from addicting neighborhoods of kids, because they could lose their license to sell tobacco after selling to underage youth three times.
How TRLs work:
Under a local tobacco retailer licensing law, the government requires all businesses that sell tobacco products to obtain a license from the government in exchange for the privilege of selling tobacco products.
Low Cost to business: These licenses are not costly, typically $50 or less, per year per business (in Marin County...fees vary from county to county).
Enforcement: Following a friendly educational program, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the local Police Department, conducts compliance checks.
Tobacco-Free Pharmacy: Novato’s TRL ordinance includes tobacco-free pharmacies to avoid sending a mixed message to youth and smokers trying to quit: selling an addictive drug on one aisle and the medication to deal with its deadly effects on another aisle. Other Marin jurisdictions are considering enacting Tobacco-Free Pharmacy ordinances.
Jurisdictions in Marin that have enacted Tobacco-Free Pharmacy ordinances include Novato and the County of Marin. Jurisdictions that have enacted Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinances include Novato, County of Marin, San Rafael (which needs to be updated) and Mill Valley.
See links for more information on Tobacco Retailer Licensing ordinances:
http://novato.org/about-novato/smoking-ordinance
http://countertobacco.org/policy/licensing-and-zoning/
http://center4tobaccopolicy.org/tobacco-policy/tobacco-retail-environment/
The Following Local and Statewide Laws Protect Youth from Candy Flavored Addiction
MARIN COUNTY JURISDICTIONS: Tobacco Retailer Ordinances
The era of addiction-based industries marketing candy-flavored tobacco and vaping devices has come to an end in Marin County. Check your community ordinance here!
California has a new flavored tobacco and vape law. Here are the details: https://www.undo.org/exposed/ca-flavor-tobacco-law-explained
Marin County Unincorporated: https://library.municode.com/ca/marin_county/codes/municipal_code?nodeId:TIT5BURELI_CH5.70RELIALTORE_5.70.050LIRETORE
Corte Madera TRL Link: https://library.municode.com/ca/corte_madera/codes/municipal_code?nodeId:TIT5BULIRE_CH5.06TORELI
Mill Valley: https://library.qcode.us/lib/mill_valley_ca/pub/municipal_code/item/title_7-chapter_7_20-7_20_110
San Anselmo: https://library.municode.com/ca/san_anselmo/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId:TIT6BUPRTR_CH7TORELI
San Rafael: San Rafael Tobacco Retail Ordinance
More news on Tobacco Retailers and their impact on communities
Tobacco Industry Targets Low-Income Communities (excellent website): Truth Campaign
Cigarette Use on Low Socio-economic status populations:
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/disparities/low-ses/index.htm
Cost to Society of Smoking Article:
Check out this website on how sinister tobacco and electronic smoking device industries target youth more than ever with ever-increasing addictive products, poisoning their bodies and the environment: Still Blowing Smoke http://stillblowingsmoke.org/
http://stillblowingsmoke.org/#healthCheck out this website on how the tobacco and electronic smoking device industries target youth more than ever: Still Blowing Smoke http://stillblowingsmoke.org/
The Tobacco and E-Cigarette industries target youth, low-income people, and communities of color, for their replacement customers.
Targets for the tobacco and e-cigarette industry include youth, http://tobaccofreeca.com/tobacco-industry/targeting-youth/low income people, LGBTQ, minorities, and communities of color: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0208.pdf
We (Smoke-free Marin Coalition members) send social media articles to Marin City and the Canal Community Alliance twice a year to promote high compliance rates with smoke-free and tobacco retailer licensing ordinances.
Here is a video link about how youth are responding to the industry promotions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjYT4YG7jOk&t=117s
Marin Leaders Stood up to the Tobacco and Vaping Industries by passing comprehensive Tobacco Flavor Bans and Tobacco Free Pharmacy Ordinances. Check out why in this short mini-documentary: Community Leaders Stand Up to the Tobacco and Vaping Industries!
The tobacco and vaping industries (and other industries promoting addictive substances) deny that they market to youth, but their candy-flavored products tell a different story. To learn more, visit: Flavors Hook Kids - Addiction is NOT a Phase!
Storefront Advertising Impacts
Tobacco Companies target youth, communities of color and vulnerable populations. For example, menthol products target Blacks and African Americans, especially the young. This creates inequities and health injustices.
The tobacco companies claim that they have stopped intentionally marketing to kids and targeting youth in their research or promotional efforts, but they continue to hide the ingredients in new products and advertise tobacco in ways that reach vulnerable underage populations.
Tobacco companies continue to advertise heavily at retail outlets near schools and playgrounds, with large ads and signs clearly visible from outside the stores. In fact, in 2018 tobacco companies spent 96 percent ($8.7 billion) of their total advertising and promotion expenditures on strategies that facilitated retail sales. Here in Marin, we care about what youth see on their walks to school.
For more information: UNDO.ORG
