Students Present Tobacco Licensing Ordinance

Source from:  dailydemocrat.com By LIZETH CAZARES 01/31/2008 02/01/2008

Widespread availability of smoking products spurs their proposal to board Upset with the easy availability of tobacco products in Yolo County, several students have come together and created a way to prevent young people from smoking. Representatives from the Yolo County Tobacco Prevention Youth Coalition came to the Woodland School Board's Thursday meeting asking for support for their new tobacco licensing ordinance. Youth coalition member Jesse Bringhurst said the program will charge extra fees to businesses around the county for a license that will let them sell tobacco products. The ordinance will be revenue neutral since funds collected from the licenses will go to enforce tobacco laws throughout the county. Preventing youth from buying tobacco is important, said members, because the majority of smokers start before the age of 18. "That's 80 percent start smoking while their youths and before its even legal for them to be purchasing or using cigarettes," said Bringhurst. This is a