SACRAMENTO – California lawmakers continue to busy themselves with passing laws aimed at suppressing Californians right to vote on whether certain tobacco products should be removed from retail store shelves prior to the Nov. 8 election.
Sacramento County became the latest legislative body to regulate the sales of tobacco after passing an ordinance on the matter Jan. 26.
The ordinance effectively bans the sale of candy-flavored tobacco, and removes tobacco products, including candy-flavored e-cigarettes and minty-menthol cigarettes, off store shelves across Sacramento County.
Supervisor Rich Desmond dismisses “racism” as a factor in the board’s decision considering Sacramento County is 62% white and 35% minority, however, if the board is truly concerned with the county’s youth smoking, a full ban of cigarettes should have been implemented across the board, not cherry picking which products are not used by White people.
The five-member board doesn’t have a single minority to represent their needs, and instead are forced to rely on White people to curtail activities that are up to the user to decide.
With Voting Rights and Voter Suppression hot button topics across the nation, local governments continue to attempt to circumvent constituents rights by implementing votes to impede the voting process.
These are the same group of people who legalized cannabis, despite pleas from organizations to ban them for their harm to children.
The Sacramento County Coalition for Youth, is supported by the Sacramento County Board of Education and its Department of Public Health Services.
- Teenagers are more vulnerable to addiction. Research finds that about 1 in 11 adults and 1 in 6 youth who use marijuana become dependent. And 1 in 3 develop some form of problem use. Earlier use is linked to greater risk of dependence on marijuana and other drugs.
- Kids who use marijuana regularly can decrease their IQ and impair learning, memory, math and reading levels. These changes can be permanent.
Cannabis dispensaries sell products that children are familiar with: brownies, rice krispy treats, gummi bears, and the like.
The Sacramento County board is okay with children getting their hands on cannabis products?
The messaging appears to say one is better than the other, despite BOTH having “addictive” qualities that entice children.
These newly crafted laws of holding tobacco retial licenses hostage, in order to restrict sales of these products, does nothing to address the problem of the youth using these products.
The FDA has recently approved regulations for the industry to market e-cigarettes.
“Today’s authorizations are an important step toward ensuring all new tobacco products undergo the FDA’s robust, scientific premarket evaluation. The manufacturer’s data demonstrates its tobacco-flavored products could benefit addicted adult smokers who switch to these products – either completely or with a significant reduction in cigarette consumption – by reducing their exposure to harmful chemicals,” said Mitch Zeller, J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “We must remain vigilant with this authorization and we will monitor the marketing of the products, including whether the company fails to comply with any regulatory requirements or if credible evidence emerges of significant use by individuals who did not previously use a tobacco product, including youth. We will take action as appropriate, including withdrawing the authorization.”
Stable restrictions have been put in place to ensure compliance of the FDA’s approval.
Legislators should follow the “science”, and stop using smoking as a political talking point to further suppress minorities rights, whether its voting to stop tobacco or having the right to purchase at a licensed tobacco retailer.
Unintended consequence- not just law enforcement; but also the consequence of removing from retailers, you are hurting small businesses
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
“Small businesses and entrepreneur’s are the backbone of this country,” said Rick Caruso.
Penalizing small businesses by forcing them to incorporate “recovery taxes” has devastating consequences for constituents, particularly those living in food deserts.
Many convenience stores are located in communities, with customers living within walking distance from them.
Traditionally, grocery shopping was done in big box stores, now customers are opting to purchase groceries, on a smaller scale, at their local neighborhood store.
With the removal of certain products from their shelves, owners will have no choice but to increase costs on non-taxable items, to recoup revenue lost from taxable items.
This creates less business tax revenue for cities, and ultimately the states.
If small business owners are indeed the backbone of this country, they should be allowed to continue to operate in a manner conducive to remaining open.
