On January 22, the Alachua County Council of PTA’s passed an ordinance to implement the regulation of tobacco sales to youth.
Alachua County is one of the first in the state to pass this type of ordinance that will greatly impact the health and wellness of our children by making tobacco less accessible to underage buyers. The underage use of tobacco in the Gainesville area has been deemed as somewhat of an epidemic, and the ACCPTA is using this ordinance to change that.
The actions include:
- Raising the age of purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21. This will make tobacco hander to get for those especially in high school and help prevent the sharing of tobacco.
- Creating a 1,000-foot area border around our public schools where new retailers cannot sell tobacco.
- Requiring a local license to sell tobacco. Sellers will have to apply for a one-year license to sell tobacco, and it will cost each vendor $230 for the license.
- Regulating e-cigarette loopholes. This ordinance will apply to e-cigarettes, vaping products and liquid nicotine.
Cities within the county will have a chance to opt out of the ordinance, and it is scheduled to take place nine months from now.