City Council B Session

City of San Antonio

Meeting Minutes

City Council B Session

State of Texas

County of Bexar

City Hall Complex

105 Main Plaza

San Antonio, Texas 78205

FINAL

2:00 PM Municipal Plaza BuildingWednesday, December 6, 2017

The City Council of San Antonio convened in the “B” Room of the Municipal Plaza Building. City

Clerk Leticia Vacek took the Roll Call with the following Councilmembers present:

11 - Mayor Nirenberg, Treviño, Shaw, Viagran, Saldaña, Gonzales,

Brockhouse, Sandoval, Pelaez, Courage, and Perry

PRESENT:

A Briefing by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District on Tobacco 21 and

proposed changes to Chapter 36 of City Code. [Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager;

Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Director, Health]

1.

Dr. Colleen Bridger stated that tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability,

and death in the United States that leads to half a million premature death in the U.S.

annually. She noted that 3,800 youth daily smoke their first cigarette and 2,100 people under

the age of 21 become regular smokers. She recommended increasing the legal age of sale of

tobacco to 21, an initiative known as Tobacco 21 (T21), because most adult smokers begin

smoking before that age and many occasional smokers transition to regular use between ages

18 and 21. She stated that electronic cigarettes were the most popular tobacco product

among youth smokers. She noted that tobacco had a negative impact on the military and

troop readiness, and military leaders wished to reduce tobacco use. She stated that T21 had

been implemented in over 270 cities and counties across 18 states. She presented the results

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December 6, 2017City Council B Session Meeting Minutes

of a local survey conducted by the Metropolitan Health Department finding that 77.5% of

the 5,447 respondents agreed that the tobacco sale age should be raised to 21. She

highlighted the agencies of the San Antonio Tobacco 21 Coalition and their support for

education during the proposed implementation period for T21.

Dr. Bridger provided an overview of current State Law and noted that it allowed the city to

enact stricter standards than those already codified. She stated that there were two main

focus points for the Ordinance: (1) Tobacco Retailers; and (2) Youth. The portion directed

toward retailers would revise the age restriction to 21 and enact penalties for violations of the

illegal sale of tobacco products as misdemeanor crimes, punishable by a maximum fine of