City Votes to Charge Retailers $208 Fee in Crackdown on Tobacco Sales to Minors

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to charge retailers $208 a year to sell tobacco products and use the money to increase crackdowns on cigarette sales to underage buyers.

The city has about 5,200 tobacco retailers with permits and 1,500 to 3,000 additional vendors who may be selling tobacco products without permits.

The city contracts with the state Department of Health Services for undercover policing of tobacco sellers. The contract allows for about 300 investigations each year.

The new permit fees, which take effect Oct. 1, are expected to raise enough money to bump that to about 700 annual investigations initially and then about 1,200 within two years. The fees, which are to increase to $274 in the second year, would also pay for adding four positions in the city attorney’s office to prosecute illegal tobacco sales cases.

Although most retailers could still go years without an undercover inspection, the coauthors of the ordinance -- Council members Alex Padilla and Wendy Greuel -- said problem areas of the city can expect more frequent inspections.

“We’re making a statement that it’s unacceptable to sell cigarettes to minors,” Greuel said. “Three out of four smokers start before they’re 18. This tells the retailers that we’re very serious about this and we’re going to beef up enforcement.”