Council hears proposal to align city tobacco-retailer license with county; officials cite youth vaping data

City Clerk Marissa Stoler briefed the Pueblo City Council on April 28 on proposed changes to the city’s tobacco‑retailer license intended to align rules with a potential Pueblo County license and to reduce youth access to tobacco products and vapes.

Stoler summarized the city’s tobacco‑licensing history and presented data from the Healthy Kids Colorado survey showing increases in youth access to retail tobacco in Pueblo County. She reported that, in county survey results Stoler cited, 70.84 percent of students in 2021 and 80.51 percent in 2023 said they were not refused a tobacco purchase because of their age; 53.3 percent said they believed it would be easy to obtain vapes; and 13.1 percent reported use of a tobacco product in the past 30 days. Stoler said those figures were above the state averages cited in the survey.

Proposed changes discussed included: - Prohibiting anyone under age 21 from handling tobacco products (Clerk’s office note: current rules allow employees 18–20 to handle products). - Increasing the initial tobacco‑retailer license fee (the clerk noted the fee was $100 in 2012, raised to $200 in 2021) and proposing an increase to $500 for new licenses, with renewal fees to align with the state ($400), plus a higher late fee. - Strengthening recommended penalty amounts for repeat violations; local enforcement would remain nonbinding and hearing officers would have discretion.

Stoler described inspection and violation history: inspections are carried out by the state; the city maintains roughly 130–140 tobacco licenses. She said there were two violations in 2023, 13 in 2024 and six stipulations as of April 1, 2025. County Deputy Director Kyle Aber said the increase in findings reflects expanded enforcement: “the more you check, the more you're gonna find.” Aber also said the county currently has no licensing scheme and is preparing an ordinance that would create one and mirror many city provisions.

Council discussion focused on the scope and impacts of changes. Councilor Bostic raised concerns about employment impacts for 18‑ to 20‑year‑old workers, saying “If your job is to check an ID, you should check an ID.” Councilor Martinez moved to advance the changes; he cited that a local reputable retailer had urged stronger penalties. Stoler indicated the Pueblo Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership would assist with retailer education if the ordinance moves forward.

Council expressed general support for bringing the proposed ordinance forward for formal consideration and debate; members also discussed the possibility of addressing flavor bans separately at a later date. Stoler said she would present the ordinance to council for formal action, and councilors suggested they could amend age or penalty provisions during the ordinance hearing.