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The dangers of smoking are well documented. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, <br /> lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes <br /> emphysema and chronic bronchitis. In addition, there is growing evidence that vaping can also <br /> harm lung health. More than 100 local jurisdictions have taken action to end the sale of <br /> flavored tobacco and protect future generations from getting hooked on this dangerous habit. <br /> These include the cities of Buena Park, Delano, Sacramento, Adelanto, Oroville and Woodland <br /> as well as Los Angeles County, to name a few. <br /> While SB 793 was recently enacted to end the sale of most flavored tobacco products, tobacco <br /> companies spent more than $20 million to place the law on hold until the next statewide <br /> general election. Santa Ana kids can't wait an entire year to be protected - local action is <br /> needed to protect the community right now and address the urgent issue of youth tobacco use. <br /> Every day we delay protecting youth and communities of color is a day that Big Tobacco has the <br /> opportunity to use fruit and candy-flavored tobacco to addict more life-long customers. <br /> A strong Tobacco Retail Licensing (TRL) program will provide enforcement for a flavored <br /> tobacco sales restriction policy and is a proven way to prevent and limit youth tobacco use. We <br /> recommend the city strengthen the existing TRL program by requiring annual compliance <br /> checks on all tobacco retailers, specifying that annual license fees will be high enough to cover <br /> the cost of the program, holding tobacco retail owners/operators responsible for monetary <br /> penalties, and restricting the density of tobacco retail locations. In California, youth and young <br /> adults living in places with strong retail licensing policies are less likely to use cigarettes and e- <br /> cigarettes than their counterparts who live in places with poor retail licensure policies. <br /> For these reasons, we are proud to support a comprehensive policy that ends the sale of all <br /> flavored tobacco products without exemption. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Denovan A. Lin =� <br /> Chief Operating Officer <br /> Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America <br />