"We Care" even more When Caught

We feel strongly this can be replicated anywhere with 2 or more staff willing to work out in the community to get the ordinance passed and do the enforcement.

BACKGROUND

Tobacco Retailer Licensing addresses illegal sales to minors in Riverside County, CA. After 10 years of direct merchant education, the State Health Department found 44% of stores in Riverside County, CA illegally selling to minors in 2003.

Staff at the County Health Department used the TALC model ordinance and community organizing, resulting in Board of Supervisors passing an ordinance in 2005 to license tobacco retailers using the $350 license fee for enforcement.

Since 2005 over half of the 26 cities have partnered with the Health Department (more than Los Angeles County has out of 84 cities).

Local enforcement found rates even WORSE than state figures with most communities in a very tight range of 60-70% of merchants selling to decoys.

STEPS TO IMPLEMENT THIS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Describe the steps utilized in Riverside County to promote creation of tobacco retail licensing policies by city governments and the county Board of Supervisors.

Let's get down to what you need to replicate this in your community: getting youth behind the movement, surveying merchants, decoy recruitment, decoy procedures, statistics to convince city councils, administrative penalties against the license owners vs. criminal citations of the clerk.

Ask questions to figure out how to replicate this in your own community.

BENEFITS

Expect a 70-100% drop in illegal sales to minors after 3 enforcement checks.