Mission

Welcome to tobaccowatchdog.org. Our mission is to stop the illegal sale of tobacco to minors in San Diego County through:

• Licensing of tobacco retailers

• Retailer education

• Increased public awareness about illegal tobacco sales to minors

• Community monitoring of tobacco retail outlets

• Recognition and support of tobacco-free organizations

The Problem

It has been illegal for over 100 years to sell tobacco to minors, yet a 2004 survey conducted in San Diego County found that over 33% of retailers sold tobacco to a child.

Retailers continue to sell tobacco to minors because the fines for breaking the law are minimal, and because store clerks, not store owners, are held accountable. Further, there are few, if any resources, for local police to enforce the law.

Nearly 80 percent of all smokers begin smoking before the age of 18. If we can prevent teens from smoking by reducing their access to tobacco products, then we have a chance at decreasing the number of future adult smokers and, hopefully, the terrible financial, emotional and physical toll that tobacco use causes.

Local Solutions to Local Problems

Licensing retailers to sell tobacco can significantly reduce the sale of tobacco to minors by holding store owners, not clerks, responsible for breaking the law, and by suspending or revoking the license of retailers who repeatedly sell tobacco to youth. A licensing fee further provides a steady source of funding to law enforcement to enforce the law.

Licensing Tobacco Retailers Works

Consider the illegal tobacco sales rates in the following California jurisdictions before and after adoption of a strong tobacco retailer licensing ordinance:

• Contra Costa County -- 2002: 37% ; 2003: 2%
• City of Berkeley -- 2000: 30% ; 2003: 14%
• City of San Luis Obispo -- 2002: 52% ; 2004: 0%
  

Take Action!

Go to our Take Action page to see how you help stop the sale of tobacco to kids in your community.

For Information on Secondhand Smoke

Many San Diegans are concerned about exposure to secondhand smoke, especially at beaches and parks, transit stops, outdoor dining areas, and from neighors at home. We will soon have a website dedicated to those concerns -- click on www.smokefreesandiego.org and sign up to be notified when the website is launched.