California County Tightens Penalties Against Tobacco Sales to Minors

San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area in California voted unanimously on May 9, 2023, to strengthen penalties against retailers who sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors.

Proposed by the county health department and passed unanimously by the local council, the ordinance aims to discourage retailers from selling tobacco, vaping and other nicotine products to minors and thus prevent them from becoming addicted to the drug. In its press release, the county office points out that 67% of Californians who smoke reported starting smoking before age 18[1].

The order provides, among other things, that a retailer's license will be suspended if a retailer sells tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. Previously, a retailer caught selling tobacco products to a minor or young adult would receive a simple warning letter or a reprimand.

In detail, the county ordinance provides:

• An increase in fines to $500 for a first offense, and up to $1,000 for any subsequent offense within a 5-year period.
• The ban on granting a new sales licence to any establishment located less than a "youth populated area" (public or private school, playgrounds, for example) or less than metres from an existing tobacco retailer.
• Any violation of the order is subject to a fine,
• Increased on-site inspections by county environmental health departments with two inspections per year per flow

Selling tobacco to minors, a county hobby horse

According to the county health department, 11 of 74 tobacco retailers in San Mateo County sold tobacco to underage youth during enforcement operations conducted by the sheriff's office between April 2021 and June 2022.

“Young people in our community are healthier when tobacco retailers are held accountable for illegally selling tobacco products to underage customers,” said Clara Boyden, deputy director of health services, who oversees the tobacco control program for the health department.

With this ordinance, San Mateo County continues its commitment to combating underage smoking. Following the passage of Proposition 99, which imposed a 25-cent tax on every pack of cigarettes sold in the state of California in 1988, the county created the San Mateo County Tobacco Education Coalition (TEC)[2]This organization is particularly responsible for information and communication campaigns designed to prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine and to raise awareness of the many harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products.

San Mateo County also stands out in the area of tobacco control through an active policy in the area of developing tobacco-free places, including tobacco-free homes, limiting access to products for young people and also supporting smoking cessation.

Keywords: County, San Mateo, cigarettes, tobacco, minors, penalties, control, smoking

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^[1] Retailers That Sell Tobacco to Kids Face Stiffer Penalties, San Mateo County, May 9, 2023

[2] TOBACCO EDUCATION COALITION, San Mateo County Health

National Committee Against Smoking |