Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, the organization which leads and funds the Tobacco 21 campaign, recently released a new best practices guide on tobacco retail licensing (TRL). The guide, Tobacco Retail Licensing: An Essential Tool to Reduce Youth Usage and Foster Health Equity provides detailed information on best practices in TRL for cities, counties and states.

The guide provides facts and statistics for advocates working to implement TRL in their communities.  It also provides specific provisions which should be included in a TRL to ensure it is comprehensive and equitable. Additionally, it includes sample ordinances from the Public Health Law Center and ChangeLab Solutions.

Quick Facts about TRL from the Guide

    • TRL reduces initiation to nicotine and tobacco through improved compliance with Minimum Legal Sales Age (MLSA) and other important tobacco sales regulations.
    • TRL has become a vital regulatory tool that enables states and localities to monitor tobacco sales, fund compliance efforts and create effective penalty and suspension structures for repeated violations.
    • A TRL is not the same as a tobacco tax permit that many states already employ. A true tobacco retail license is tied to retailer compliance with all applicable sales, marketing and display laws.
    • By requiring a TRL, a municipality or state can also regulate location, density and type(s) of tobacco retailers permitted to operate in their jurisdiction. TRL may also aide implementation of other provisions such as flavored product restrictions, product discounts, tobacco-free pharmacies, mail-order/internet delivery regulation and point-of-purchase restrictions.

Additional TRL Resources

Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation (PFAT) was established in 1996 and leads and funds the Tobacco 21 campaign. PTAF works nationwide to advance strong tobacco control legislation that prevents youth initiation and addiction to tobacco and nicotine. Its mission is to reduce the health and economic impact of tobacco use and nicotine addiction through education, advocacy and policy change.