Enforce limits on alcohol, tobacco ads

Fresno is suffering from an unsafe and unhealthy community. One of the problems is that the Development Code needs to be enforced. Young adults from the Youth Leadership Institute recently walked into seven stores and the owners did not know about the new policy. Therefore, we educated them about the new Development Code.

Youth in Fresno and surrounding cities are highly influenced by storefront advertising and need to be protected from these harmful products. In a recent Bee commentary Yesenia Cuenca states that “the tobacco industry spends about $30 million a day ($11.2 billion a year) on advertisements alone.”

We believe that this money should be used to better our community, rather than destroy it. Getting rich at the expense of young people’s lives is corrupt and unjust.

These types of advertisements encourage youth in Fresno to try alcohol and tobacco, affecting their health and future. Let’s promote and enforce the Development Code.

This story was originally published February 22, 2017 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Enforce limits on alcohol, tobacco ads."