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Residents and health groups urge South Pasadena to revive tobacco retail license update
Summary
During the Nov. 5 regular meeting dozens of residents and public health groups urged the council to return to a promised update of the city's tobacco retail licensing ordinance, citing youth access to flavored products and studies showing local TRLs reduce youth use.
Speakers from the Breathe Clean South Pasadena Coalition and allied health organizations filled much of the Nov. 5 public‑comment period to press the council to revive and strengthen a tobacco retail license (TRL) ordinance.
A string of residents, students and medical professionals asked the city to follow neighboring municipalities that have tightened rules. Ten‑year‑old Dylan Rubin told the council, “I am 10 years old... I don't want teens and youth to have easy access to purchase tobacco and vaping products here in beautiful South Pasadena,” and urged the council to keep its earlier promise to update the TRL.
Medical voices framed the issue as a public‑health problem. Dr. Carolyn Kalustian, identified as a board member of the American Heart Association Los Angeles and a physician at Keck Medicine of USC, asked the council to adopt a comprehensive TRL ordinance that would “restrict the sale of all flavored tobacco products in South Pasadena with no accept exemptions,” saying such a policy is “critical in reducing access to products the tobacco industry uses to target and addict new smokers, including children in this community.”
Researchers and public‑health representatives flagged local survey data and peer‑reviewed findings. Janeth Rodriguez (USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences) summarized USC research showing strong TRL programs and enforcement are associated with lower youth initiation and urged the council to collect license fees sufficient to fund administration and compliance checks.
Coalition leaders described local polling and a retailer scan they said found widespread flavored product displays; one speaker cited a 90% concern rate among surveyed residents and another referenced that about 80% of local tobacco retailers displayed flavored products. Groups represented included Breathe Clean South Pasadena, LA General Medical Center Foundation, UCLA anti‑vaping champions, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
No ordinance vote occurred at the Nov. 5 meeting; councilmembers heard the public comments and staff requests to prioritize drafting or returning to the item. Several speakers asked the council to direct staff to bring back a draft ordinance modeled on recommendations from the Public Health Law Center and noted that nearby cities (Alhambra, Pasadena, Los Angeles) have adopted comprehensive TRLs.
