August 13, 2026
Fresno City Council
2600 Fresno St. #3620
Fresno, CA 93721
Dear Council President Esparza and Honorable Fresno City Council Members,
We, the Fresno County Tobacco-Free Coalition (Coalition), are committed to protecting the health of the community, particularly residents disproportionately affected by tobacco use and availability (e.g., youth, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, and other people of color, LGBTQ+, and people who live below the poverty threshold). We are a network of community members and public health and health equity leaders within Fresno. We have had the pleasure of working alongside council members, both present and past, to partner and champion landmark tobacco policies in the City of Fresno.
The Coalition would like to thank you for your continued efforts to protect the public’s health by introducing the tobacco retailer licensing (TRL) ordinance. As stated during the press conference, Fresno is the largest California city without a TRL codified into law. TRLs have been implemented in over 200 jurisdictions in California and have proven to be effective. We believe this ordinance will build upon the steadfast work of community advocates to ensure a healthy and thriving Fresno. An ordinance such as this is supported by Fresno residents; a 2024 public opinion survey conducted by the Fresno County Department of Public Health found that 82% of respondents supported requiring tobacco retailers to obtain a local license to sell tobacco products.
TRL programs protect youth from having ample access to tobacco products, and local data underscores a need for these protections. During a 2021 youth decoy operation conducted by the City of Fresno Police Department, 21% of the tobacco retailers visited sold tobacco products to youth. Studies have shown that increased access to tobacco products increases the likelihood of smoking in youth and adults. According to the California Student Tobacco survey in 2021, 91% of youth respondents in Fresno reported that they use flavored tobacco products.
Furthermore, despite the state law banning flavored tobacco products, tobacco retailers are still selling flavored tobacco. In 2025, Fresno Code Enforcement found that 49% (203 of 416) of the retailers visited in the City of Fresno sold flavored tobacco/flavor enhancers.
The Coalition wants to be clear about its support for this policy; however, we want to offer recommendations on its language to further solidify its effectiveness toward health equity, protect youth, and align with TRL best practices across the state. We recommend the following inclusions in the City of Fresno’s TRL:
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Subject: [BULK] New eComment for City Council on 2026-08-13 9:00 AM - Regular Meeting Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 8:49:26 AM
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City of Fresno
New eComment for City Council on 2026-08-13
9:00 AM - Regular Meeting
Ginnie Day submitted a new eComment.
Meeting: City Council on 2026-08-13 9:00 AM - Regular Meeting Item: 2.-Z. ID 26-1048 ***BILL B-24 (Introduced July 30, 2026) (For Adoption) Adding Article 38 of Chapter 9 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to Tobacco Retailer's License (Subject to Mayor's Veto)
eComment: August 12, 2026 Dear Fresno City Council Members, I am a resident of District 1, and a strong advocate in support of the Tobacco Retailer�€™s License ordinance. California law requires that tobacco retailers obtain a state license to sell commercial tobacco products.
However, many local jurisdictions in the state have taken additional local measures to ensure that tobacco retailers are compliant with local, state, and federal laws. It is important that the city of Fresno sets the same standard. A tobacco retailer�€™s license (TRL) helps to address public health concerns in the tobacco retail environment, such as the illegal sale of tobacco to minors. The license fees from the program will fund enforcement to ensure tobacco retailers do not sell tobacco to people under the age of 21, or sell tobacco or drug related products that are illegal under California law. According to Fresno County Department of Public Health (2024) data, 34% of local tobacco retailers are located near schools. Evidence indicates that the frequency of exposure to tobacco retailers influences the likelihood of students to try vaping or smoking. This ordinance is a good first step, and a recommended addition for future action is to ban the opening of new licensed tobacco retailers within 1000 feet of our schools. Thank you for your time and work to protect youth in our community. Sincerely, Ginnie Day, MPH View and Analyze eComments
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