San Benito County’s Health and Human Services Agency recently
released the shocking figure that 33 percent of stores in the area
that carry tobacco products are selling them to minors.
That compares to the statewide average of 10 percent of stores
which get busted selling tobacco to someone under 18.
San Benito County’s Health and Human Services Agency recently released the shocking figure that 33 percent of stores in the area that carry tobacco products are selling them to minors.
That compares to the statewide average of 10 percent of stores which get busted selling tobacco to someone under 18.
That’s upsetting enough, but what is even more troubling is that there is a local lack of enforcement of the law banning cigarette sales to minors.
“The law is over 100 years old,” Human Services Project Director Samela Perez told Reporter Danielle Smith. “We can only attribute these figures to the fact that there’s simply no enforcement.”
Indeed, San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill said he doesn’t think that it is the department’s responsibility to enforce tobacco laws, adding that he and his deputies are “not the smoking police.” Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller, on the other hand, said tobacco use by minors is a problem. But his prevention program has been cut because of budget problems and he has to weigh enforcing the laws against gang prevention and drunk driving. “Unfortunately, it becomes a low priority,” he said.
But, let’s look at the toll smoking takes on the nation’s health, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
n An estimated 8.6 million people in the United States have at least one serious illness caused by smoking
n Each year, nearly 440,000 people in the United States die of a smoking-related illness, resulting in 5.6 million years of potential life lost and $92 billion in lost productivity from smoking
On average, smoking reduces adult life expectancy by approximately 14 years.
To finance local tobacco stings, and to fight the upward trend in businesses selling to minors, Perez proposes creating a license similar to a liquor license, with associated fees, for stores that sell tobacco products. The license fees would pay for stings, and if the license were revoked, the retailer would not be allowed to sell cigarettes within city limits. Forty-two cities and counties in California have already adopted such ordinances.
That is a promising approach, but some local retailers worry that the added expense could harm their business. We say give them a chance to clean up their act before going that far. Though it may be onerous, the HPD and sheriff’s department should muster the manpower for a few stings over the next six months. If enforcement doesn’t curb the problem, local governments should consider Perez’s license proposal. And, the county supervisors should tell Hill to reconsider his stance and come up with a plan to increase awareness of the issue.
As the CDC statistics show, the risks are too great to ignore tobacco laws.
