The Scotts Valley City Council is the fourth jurisdiction is Santa Cruz County to pass a tobacco retailer license to discourage teenage smoking. Retailers caught selling the product to minors can be fined or have their licenses revoked.
Undercover operations will be run twice per year and it will be paid for by the $150 per retail license fees collected.
“This ordinance gives the Scotts Valley PD an enforcement tool and a way to reduce illegal tobacco sales to minors,” said Gina Cole, Chairperson to the Santa Cruz County Tobacco Education Coalition.
When the Scotts Valley Police Department conducted a survey in March 2015, 3 out of 11 retailers approached by undercover decoys sold cigarettes to the youth. “It shocks me to know that youth in Scotts Valley have access to buy tobacco products here in our local stores considering the fact that tobacco products are addicting and lethal.” said Ana, a local Scotts Valley youth that spoke before the council.
In Watsonville, it was shown that the percentage of retailers that sold cigarettes to decoys dropped from 13 percent to zero percent after enforcement operations were run there.
“Scotts Valley is taking an important step towards reducing teen smoking by holding those who sell tobacco to our youth responsible for their actions,” stated Gina Cole.
