Press Release

Mayor Newsom Introduces Legislation to Limit Tobacco Sales Near Schools

Legislation would prohibit the issuance of new tobacco sales permits for businesses located within 1,000 feet of public and private schools in San Francisco

01/26/10 – Today Mayor Gavin Newsom introduced legislation at the Board of Supervisors that prohibits the issuance of new tobacco sales permits for businesses located within 1,000 feet of public and private schools in San Francisco.

“The research clearly shows kids start smoking and smoke more frequently when cigarette retailers are near schools,” said Mayor Newsom. “About a third of the students in California purchase their tobacco within 1,000 feet of their schools, so we’re looking to restrict this access in order to prevent children from smoking.”

No permits to sell tobacco would be revoked as a consequence of this legislation, and retailers outside of the 1,000 foot zone are unaffected. Permits would remain transferable to immediate family members, regardless of proximity to schools.

“I support the City’s efforts to make it harder to buy cigarettes,” said Superintendent Carlos Garcia. “The closer tobacco is to our schools, the more likely it is our students will buy it. We’ve made good progress educating our students and steering them away from smoking, and this legislation will help us push this important goal forward.”

According to the City Attorney’s Office, in San Francisco, 34.6% of youth say it is “easy” to purchase tobacco in their communities and the San Francisco Tobacco Free Project notes that 8 out of 10 smokers start smoking by the age of 18. In addition, the costs of these smoking habits are real: In 1999, the California Department of Health Services found that the economic costs of smoking in California were approximately $475 per resident or $3,331 per smoker, for a total of nearly $15.8 billion in smoking-related costs (1999 dollars). Those same costs in 2008 increased to $614 per resident or $4,310 per smoker for a total of nearly $20.4 billion dollars.

“This targeted approach to preventing San Francisco’s children from picking up this dangerous habit is good policy, both from a public health and an economic perspective,” said Dr. Mitch Katz, the Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.