Proposed Fee to Support Enforcement of E-cig Regulations in California's Tuolumne County

According to a report by US media outlet mymotherlode on January 23rd, Tuolumne County in California is currently considering imposing fees on tobacco retailers to support the enforcement of regulations banning the sale of flavored e-cigarette products, among others.

The public health department of Tehuaremi County has highlighted that the smoking rate among teenagers in the region is significantly higher than the state average. According to the 2021 California Health Children Survey, 21% of 11th-grade students in Tehuaremi County reported using e-cigarette products, compared to the statewide average of only 11%.

With a result of 3 votes in favor and 1 vote against, the County Supervisory Council has instructed the relevant staff to draft regulations for retail tobacco licenses, which could potentially impact the 44 businesses in the county that sell tobacco products.

Some city governments in California charge tobacco retailers an annual fee ranging from $30 to $40, but some municipalities, such as Alameda County, have fees as high as $100 or even $1,000. County officials emphasize that they want the fees to be as low as possible in order to cover enforcement costs. Currently, all California retailers are required to pay a state-level tobacco licensing fee of approximately $270.

County supervisor Ryan Campbell expressed that the United States has spent 25 to 30 years effectively persuading children not to smoke, however, unfortunately, e-cigarettes have now replaced traditional cigarettes and are even more difficult to regulate.

Terremi County will advance the development of a local licensing plan, with specific details to be approved by the board of supervisors at a later date. The local blue zone team also expressed support for this concept.