Some Santa Clara County cities received high marks in a recent report that grades municipalities’ efforts to prevent and enforce tobacco sales to minors. Fifth on the list of 13 local cities, Los Altos received 84 points out of 100, earning a B grade – an improvement over last year’s F. <|>
The Tobacco Free Coalition of Santa Clara County, Community Advocate Teens of Today and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department released their 2009-2010 Communities Health on Tobacco Report Card June 21. The report focuses on the quantity of tobacco advertising in cities and “preventing youth access to tobacco,” according to a press release. Mountain View, Saratoga and Milpitas received A’s. San Jose came in last this year with 53 points.
Nicole Coxe, a county health-planning specialist, said she worked with the Los Altos Police Department compiling data for the report. Coxe said Los Altos improved last year’s score of 34 points by cracking down on tobacco ads and encouraging more education.
Los Altos fell short of an A because of the city’s absence of a tobacco licensing policy for retail stores. “
What we’re looking for is a city to require a yearly permit,” Coxe said. “It would work the same way as an alcohol license. … Sometimes it’s viewed as another tax on business, but it’s a fee and (a city) can set it at whatever it wants. We’re asking anywhere from $100 to $300 a year.”
The report is the fourth published since 2005, and awards points for window advertising regulations, enforcement of underage tobacco sales laws and tobacco retailer license policies. Extra credit is given for cities’ community-based tobacco control, according to the report.
Although the 53-point improvement over last year is notable in its own right, in Los Altos’ defense, Coxe admitted, none of the cities surveyed have tobacco licensing policies in place.
Los Altos Police Chief Tuck Younis said the department and city are reviewing the feasibility of implementing such a policy. “
You don’t just jump into something like that,” he said. “We have to get all stakeholders involved to make sure it’s workable for them.”
Younis said the police department sent decoy minors into 10 retail stores in Los Altos last March (which qualifies for points on the report card) and found that three stores – Safeway on First Street, Edward’s Pipe & Tobacco on San Antonio Road and the 76 gas station on San Antonio Road – illegally sold tobacco products to the minors.
The report pinpointed the Arco AM/PM gas station, near the intersection of El Camino Real and San Antonio Road, for displaying tobacco advertising within 2,000 feet of Egan Junior High School.
Los Altos scored bonus points for having education outreach in place and “stronger tobacco policies than at the state level,” according to the survey.
For more information, visit www.sccphd.org/tobacco. Contact Elliott Burr at [email protected].
