Child tobacco sales fall
Long Beach officials credit enforcement with 79% slide
Posted: 11/29/2011 05:27:08 PM PST
Updated: 11/29/2011 06:16:56 PM PST
LONG BEACH - Illegal sales of tobacco to minors in Long Beach have decreased 79 percent since 2004, according to data from the city's Department of Health and Human Services.
Officials attributed the reduction to various actions, including enacting a permit program in 2008 for businesses selling tobacco, inspecting and educating retailers and police sting operations.
City Environmental Health supervisor Jackie Hampton counted education as the most prominent of the reasons for the change.
"I think it was also getting a little teeth in the law by requiring a permit," Hampton said. "(Store operators) know they can lose their privilege to sell tobacco if they sell to minors."
First-time violators of the law can be issued a citation and charged a $100 fine.
Second and third infractions result in a citation and a $200 or $500 fine, respectively.
Long Beach municipal code also allows for a 10-day suspension of a retailer's permit to sell on a first offense, according to Hampton.
Retailers breaking the law a second time within five years can have their permit suspended for 30 days. Licenses can be revoked for a third infringement within the same period.
This year, youths were able to buy tobacco illegally 7.7 percent of the time in Long Beach, compared to a rate of 36.1 percent seven years ago, according to the Health Department. The statewide rate then was 14 percent.
On Tuesday, two Long Beach Poly
High students said smoking among their peers is low.
"It's bad for your health. I don't see a point in it," said Phillip Hutchison, 16. "Maybe it relaxes you, but you waste money.""Smoking is bad for you," agreed 15-year-old Jessica Guzman.
Among California adults, tobacco use has declined to 11.9 percent, according to the California Department of Public Health, giving the state the second lowest rate of adult smokers nationwide.
Health officials say efforts to control tobacco in California have saved an estimated 1 million lives and more than $86 billion in health care costs since 1989. Smoking is the top preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people each year.
eric.bradley@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1254
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