Fresno leaders must hold tobacco retailers accountable to protect vulnerable youth | Opinion

After smoking for 15 years, I quit cold turkey for my nieces. I wanted to set a good example for them, protect their health and help counteract Big Tobacco’s brazen efforts to turn young people into potential life-long consumers. It’s time our city leaders do the same for Fresno kids. We need urgent action to stop the shameless marketing and illegal sale of tobacco products — including e-cigarettes — to kids.

The Fresno City Council is planning a crackdown on some businesses that sell tobacco products. As proposed, this ordinance would fail to address most tobacco retailers. A strong, comprehensive tobacco retail licensing ordinance would be a more effective solution.

Tobacco control advocates with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, like me, have consulted with the Fresno County Tobacco-Free Coalition to better understand the local tobacco retail landscape. We discovered that over half of Fresno students live near a store that sells tobacco — not just smoke shops. This means kids and community members are frequently exposed to heavy advertising in these stores, which increases their risk of tobacco use initiation, encourages impulse purchases of tobacco products and cues cravings.

According to a Fresno County report, 96% of tobacco retailers, mostly convenience and liquor stores, are still illegally selling flavored tobacco products more than two years after California voters upheld the statewide law that prohibits the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

Additionally, the report reveals that almost all tobacco retailers are illegally selling small packs and cheap products priced under $2. These low prices make tobacco more affordable and accessible to youth, increasing the likelihood of tobacco use among them.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids recommend a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing ordinance to regulate all tobacco retailers and address these issues. Our recommended policy would set a minimum price and pack size of tobacco products and prohibit coupons and discounts.

It would also hold retailers accountable for following state and local tobacco laws with strong, equitable enforcement, including annual monitoring, fines and license suspension and revocation for non-compliant retailers. The licensing fees ensure that tobacco retailers — not taxpayers or clerks — cover the administration and monitoring costs to enforce the policy.

Right now, tobacco retailers in Fresno, including smoke shops, do not need a local license to operate. If all tobacco retailers were required to be locally licensed, the city could track how many there are and where they are located, and proactively check that stores are following the law. This could also help limit their presence in our communities and keep them away from schools and other places for kids. This is a crucial step to protect future generations from the dangers of tobacco because the more children are exposed to tobacco retailers, the more likely they are to start smoking or using tobacco products, like e-cigarettes.

Heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease and diabetes are among the leading causes of death in Fresno County, all of which can be caused by smoking. My grandfather and two of my uncles smoked and were eventually diagnosed with lung cancer. Many other Fresno families are also dealing with the devastating results of tobacco addiction. Meanwhile, our city is the largest jurisdiction in California without a tobacco retail licensing ordinance.

Creating a safer and healthier Fresno is within reach, but it requires strong leadership and collaboration. I call on our city council members to seriously consider approving a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing ordinance that holds all tobacco retailers accountable for breaking the law, including smoke shops.