KEEP TOBACCO SALES AWAY FROM PHILLY SCHOOLS
Philadelphia saw a 29% decrease in the average number of tobacco retailers within 500 feet of a school from 2016 to 2020, unfortunately there is a bill in Philadelphia City Council that could reverse this progress. Bill 210227 would allow existing tobacco retailers to relocate within the 500-foot school buffer zones, which would undermine the attrition process designed to protect our children. Prior to the tobacco retail regulations, some low-income neighborhoods historically had as many as three times the number of tobacco retailers per 1,000 residents as high-income areas of the city. This disparity means that low income children see far more tobacco ads than children growing up in wealthier parts of the city. Smokers who want to quit are less likely to be able to stop smoking and more likely to relapse if they live near a tobacco retailer.
Over 3,500 Philadelphians are killed each year by tobacco products, making tobacco the top cause of preventable death in our city. Smoking rates in Philadelphia are highest in low-income neighborhoods. According to Bill 210227, tobacco retailers who have had a tobacco retailer permit at the original permitted location for no less than 5 years can transfer their permit. In 2020, there were 2,264 permitted retailers. 83% of those—1,886 permitted retailers—had their permits for 5 or more years. There is no reason for this bill other than to expand tobacco sales in Philadelphia, particularly around schools. Bill 210227 would undermine efforts to eliminate tobacco sales within 500 feet of schools to protect our children.
