Cleveland cracking down on illegal tobacco sales
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Cleveland City Council is considering a suite of new laws targeting illegal tobacco sales.
Why it matters: 35% of adults in Cleveland smoke cigarettes — more than triple the national average and more than double Ohio's rate of 15%.
- Nearly 20% of high school students statewide use e-cigarettes.
- Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death in the city and has contributed to significant health disparities, as the tobacco industry has long targeted Black communities with menthol products.
State of play: Cleveland's new legislation would require any retailer selling tobacco products to obtain and conspicuously display a tobacco retail sales license.
- Per the bill, tobacco retailers would not be able to sell or distribute tobacco products to anyone under 21, and they would be required to verify the purchaser's age via ID.
- Retailers would be required to post signs explicitly stating the age limit.
Between the lines: Though similar statewide laws exist, Ohio's retail licenses apply only to cigarettes, not e-cigarettes, and penalties apply to retail clerks who make the sale.
- Cleveland's ordinances would apply to a broader range of tobacco products, with penalties leveled against businesses to incentivize compliance.
Additional local legislation would regulate the location of new smoke shops — establishments where at least 20% of store area is used for the sale of tobacco, CBD or other synthetic cannabinoids.
- No new smoke shop would be allowed to open within two miles of an existing smoke shop or within 500 feet of a church, library, playground, park or school.
What they're saying: The Coalition to End Tobacco Targeting, a coalition of Cleveland organizations, has advocated for stronger tobacco control at the local and state levels.
- "Council took a stand for public health by giving the city new tools to address this situation," said Charles Modlin, chief health equity officer at MetroHealth, in a statement.
- "Tobacco retail licensure holds retailers accountable for keeping tobacco out of the hands of youth, while marketing and zoning provisions will lessen tobacco's burden on Cleveland's neighborhoods."
Zoom out: Gov. Mike DeWine has tussled with Big Tobacco for more than three decades.
- His state budget proposes increasing the cigarette tax from $1.60 to $3.10 per pack.
Go deeper: Ohio's woeful anti-tobacco spending