YLI youth and staff in San Mateo mobilizedĀ support for a statewide law to suspend and revoke a storeās license if the retailer is repeatedly convicted of selling tobacco products to minors.
In mid-September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1310, legislation that newly elected State Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) had introduced at the urging of young leaders from YLI. Former Assemblyman Hill developed the bill after meeting with young leaders from the Youth Leadership Institute in 2011.
The youth presented Hill with the findings of their research on underage tobacco use and access in San Mateo County, and the challenges they saw in holding retailers accountable for underage tobacco sales. More than just a victory on the tobacco sale control front, the enactment of this law also represented a big victory in youth-led policy making and community change.