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After voluminous public comment, National City council schedules workshop on tobacco retail licensing
Summary
Following more than a dozen public remarks — including students, public‑health groups and parents — the council directed staff and the city attorney to bring a draft tobacco retail license ordinance to a workshop at the second meeting in February to advise policy choices and enforcement approaches.
National City councilmembers on Jan. 14 instructed staff to present a draft tobacco retail license (TRL) ordinance at a workshop in the council's second February meeting after lengthy public testimony about youth vaping and illicit flavored products.
Speakers included parents, students and public‑health advocates who cited local survey results and national data showing underage access to flavored nicotine products. "In National City, 20% of stores sold products to underage investigators," Grace Nakashima, a community organizer, told the council, summarizing a youth purchase compliance survey. A twelfth‑grade student said she often smelled vape aerosol in school bathrooms and described peers becoming trapped in nicotine dependence.
Representatives from the American Lung Association and local coalitions urged a comprehensive TRL with signage, ID checks, a graduated penalty structure and license fees sufficient to fund enforcement. City staff and the city attorney said a detailed draft ordinance already exists and recommended a workshop to identify policy choices before returning with a final ordinance.
Council Member Rodriguez moved and councilmember 3 seconded the motion to schedule the workshop; the motion passed unanimously. The city attorney said the draft is detailed and that the workshop will focus on policy decisions before the city prepares an ordinance for later council action.
The workshop will cover regulatory elements such as density limits, signage and penalties, along with enforcement costs and timeline. Staff said they will present the draft ordinance and the policy choices for council direction at the February meeting.
