San Jose officials propose a temporary ban on new smoke shops in East San Jose, highlighting a significant over-concentration of tobacco retailers in the area. A recent health assessment revealed that East San Jose has a density of seven tobacco retailers per square mile, significantly higher than the county average. Councilmembers are motivated by the need to protect youth from the harmful influence of these shops, especially as many are located near high schools. The proposal reflects ongoing efforts to control the impact of tobacco shops in communities that are most affected.
It's no coincidence that in East San Jose there are smoke shops that are located across from high schools. These numbers are not just statistics; they are symptoms of targeted marketing, retail clustering and bad health outcomes.
I've tried to introduce this policy in the past - it wasn't successful. They're still opening them. So now I'm calling for a moratorium until the city can guarantee less smoke shops in concentrated areas.
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