Newark is the only city in Alameda County lacking a local tobacco retail policy. Without a city ordinance to regulate tobacco sales and enforce the laws governing them, products like vapes, or e-cigarettes, have become easily accessible to our youth. My children and their friends have witnessed several instances of vaping and tobacco use by peers at Newark Middle and Newark Memorial High schools, a seemingly regular occurrence on both campuses. 

In 2023, Bay Area Strength Through Activism (BASTA) conducted a survey of 123 Newark Memorial High School and Newark Middle School students, finding that 72.5% reported easy access to vapes, consistent with California Healthy Kids Survey data for Newark Unified School District (NUSD) from the same year, which showed that 71% of NUSD 12th graders felt accessing vapes was easy. BASTA’s student survey also found that 72% of respondents believed vaping is a problem for students in Newark. While it’s a significant concern among students here, there has been little effort by our city to reduce the prevalence of tobacco products.  

Furthermore, without a strong local ordinance, there are minimal penalties for clerks who sell these harmful products to underage minors. In 2020, the California Department of Public Health conducted youth decoy operations in 16 of Newark’s tobacco retailers through the STAKE Act, during which seven of these retailers sold tobacco products to minors. Newark was tied with Oakland at 43.8% for the highest violation rate in Alameda County that year, demonstrating the need for enforcement of tobacco laws to promote a culture of compliance among local retailers.

The health of our children is at risk, and it is not an isolated issue. According to data from the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration, 22.2% of middle and high school students (representing 6.21 million) reported ever using a tobacco product, with e-cigarettes being the most common. Approximately half of those who report having tried e-cigarettes are current users, suggesting that many who try vaping will continue. According to the CDC, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine and could have other harmful substances; nicotine is highly addictive and can harm the developing adolescent brain. These findings underscore the urgent need for action.

As residents and parents of children in NUSD schools, along with the other signatories, we wish to express our concern regarding the harmful impact of tobacco products on our youth. Please sign this petition if you believe in safeguarding the health of Newark's youth and aligning with all other Alameda County jurisdictions to reduce tobacco product prevalence through a local tobacco retail ordinance.