The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors formally adopted two ordinances that will create tobacco retail land use and tobacco retail license regulations.  

The Tobacco Retail License Ordinance establishes a requirement for tobacco retailers to obtain an annual county-issued license and requires the county to regulate tobacco retailers in the unincorporated areas of the county. The new Tobacco Retail License Ordinance will go into effect Dec. 5 and enforcement begins on April 1, 2025.

The ordinance prohibits tobacco retailers from:

• Selling flavored tobacco products, single-use electronic cigarettes and non-FDA authorized electronic cigarettes;
• Establishes minimum tobacco product pricing and packaging sizes;
• Prohibits pharmacies from selling tobacco products;
• Requires on-site tobacco product sales and
• Imposes a cap on the number of licensed tobacco retailers based upon population, with a maximum of one license per 2,500 residents; however, existing businesses operating legally on the date of passage will not be impacted.

The Tobacco Retail Land Use Ordinance incorporated zoning code amendments that prohibit the location of a tobacco retailer within 1,500 feet from sensitive and same-use sites such as childcare facilities, schools, youth-oriented facilities, churches, parks and public libraries.    

“The board’s action holds business accountable for illegally selling tobacco to those under the legal age of 21,” said El Dorado County Director of Public Health Jennifer Byrne. “Ninety percent of those who struggle with addiction started before they turned the legal age, according to experts at Stanford Medicine REACH Lab. If we can protect youth from starting before it’s legal, we can potentially protect them from a lifetime of tobacco addiction.”

County staff will engage in a robust outreach effort to provide detailed information to all affected retailers to support their understanding of and compliance with the new regulations.

Developing a Tobacco Retail License that prohibits the sale of non-FDA authorized electronic cigarettes, commonly known as “vapes,” was at the forefront of the community’s concern. Alarmingly, health officials note the most popular vape is the non-FDA authorized Elf Bar, which contains an amount of nicotine equivalent to what would be found in 590 cigarettes. The California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys results from 2021-23 indicated 2%-13% of El Dorado County youth in grades seven, nine and 11 reported tobacco vaping in the last 30 days.

“These ordinances demonstrate the county’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of our youth,” said Byrne.

For those seeking assistance in quitting tobacco resources are available through kickitca.org.

The adopted ordinances can be found at:

• library.municode.com/ca/el_dorado_county/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1325707
• library.municode.com/ca/el_dorado_county/ordinances/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=1325706