AgdaPkt 2019-10-28 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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9.A. - Page 4 of 7 RESOLUTION NO. 12 REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTION DECLARING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY NEEDING ACTION NOW: EPIDEMIC YOUTH USE OF E -CIGARETTES WHEREAS, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the US, killing more than 480,000 people each year; and WHEREAS, youth e -cigarette use in the United States has skyrocketed to what the U.S. Surgeon General and the FDA have called "epidemic" levels.'; and WHEREAS, newly released data from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) shows that e -cigarette use among high school students more than doubled from 2017 to 2019, to 27.5 percent of students, or more than 1 in 4 high schoolers.2 Altogether, 5 million middle and high school students used e -cigarettes in 2019 - an increase of nearly 3 million users in two years.3 Another national study showed that e -cigarette use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders has more than doubled in the past two years'; and WHEREAS, flavored tobacco products have fueled youth tobacco use. Flavors improve the taste and mask the harshness of tobacco products, making it easier for kids to try the product and ultimately become addicted. There is conclusive evidence that flavors - of which there are over 15,000 available - play a key role in youth initiation and continued use of tobacco products. In fact, over 80 percent of kids who have used tobacco started with a flavored prod uct5,6; and WHEREAS, the availability of inexpensive tobacco products leads to increased tobacco use as evidenced by more than one hundred academic studies that conclusively show that when tobacco products are made more expensive, fewer people use tobacco, fewer initiate tobacco use, and more people quit tobacco use. Youth under 18 are particularly responsive to changes in tobacco prices. In the Cities of Hayward and Union City, which adopted ordinances requiring a minimum pack size of five for cigars, the tobacco industry has responded by selling packs of five or six for one dollar or less in those cities, making it important to set minimum prices; and, WHEREAS, by selling tobacco products, pharmacies reinforce positive social perceptions of smoking, convey tacit approval of tobacco use, and send a message that it is not dangerous to smoke; and WHEREAS, the marketing of these products appeal to teens; and accessibility of these products within self-service displays at retailers, social media promotion from retailers, and coupons, discounts and other promotional materials make these products more available; and WHEREAS, in nearby Santa Clara County, the Tobacco survey, which was funded by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, found that "13.2% of Santa Clara County teens reported using e -cigarettes in the past month, meaning they were counted as current users ... 82.3% of teens currently using tobacco reported using a flavored product: use of flavored products was widespread across all tobacco products and all demographic categories... And more than 2 in 5 teens - 45.4% -- reported purchasing their own e -cigarettes, with over a quarter of this group saying they buy them directly from a local store. Among those who purchased e -cigarettes in a local store, 62.5% purchased them at a vape shop"'; and WHEREAS, 76% of tobacco retailers located within 1000 ft of schools in San 211