Tobacco Product Placement Ordinance
(Look below for new updates!)
Osceola County SWAT Tobacco Product Placement Ordinance updates:
On Monday, August 2nd, 3 students representing Osceola SWAT which formed the Ordinance Team made a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners. The outcome of our presentation was 'off da hook!' For the second time since 2001 that SWAT has presented a tobacco placement ordinance to the County Commissioners, the outlook this time around looks the best its ever seen. I believe its because we are more prepared and organized now than we were in 2001, and also because we have community support. The members of the Ordinance (O) Team were: Brandon Nelson (O Team Chairman), Sharon Herskowitz, and Sasha Willey. I would like to thank Laura Corbin, the Region 4 Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for coming to watch us give our presentation to the Board.
We now have to look into ways to enforce this ordinance, as well as provide for the County Commission how many counties and cities across Florida have enacted such tobacco placement ordinances and what litigation will be involved.
Osceola County SWAT is now one more step closer to accomplishing a long term goal since 2001, started by a dedicated Richard Chandler, who in 2001 represented the county and continued by a dedicated Brandon Nelson who is now representing the county. This has been something to strive for because counties across Florida were making such accomplishments, so why should we be left out in the dark?
A Call for Ordinance Supporters will soon go out to people who would like to attend the Commissioners meeting and show support for this ordinance once all final legal matters are attended to. We expect to be in front of the Commissioners again sometime in September or early October. Check back for more updates soon and for when SWAT will make its next appearance at the Osceola County Commission meeting.
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Tuesday, June 1st: A 5-page copy of a written ordinance for Osceola County, researched and written by Brandon Nelson, has been sent to the County Attorney, Jo Thacker for her review. We are currently waiting a reply from her on any needed legal criteria concerning the ordinance.
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Wednesday, May 19th: Osceola County SWAT continues to collect signatures of community support on tobacco placement ordinance petitions, as of Wednesday, May 19th, we now have 1,000 signatures of community support of our ordinance! Way to go Osceola SWAT!
May: To help with the petitions, requests for letters of community support have been sent out to selected individuals, whose names appear on the website as their letters come into our office.
We extend a Thanks to the following who have sent in their letters of support to our
office:
1. Debra P. Pace -
Poinciana High School Principal
2. Representative John "Q" Quinones
3. Osceola County School Superintendent Blaine Muse
4. Heather Dowling - American Lung Association of Central Florida
Thank you, come again!
Brandon Nelson, Ordinance Team
Chairman
What exactly is a tobacco product placement ordinance?
A tobacco product placement ordinance is an ordinance that orders the placement of tobacco products behind the counter, so they are out of reach of shoplifters and out of eye and reaching level of small children.
Click here for a chart of counties that have successfully passed ordinances.
Another ongoing project both locally and statewide is "Operation SWAT". This is an activity where SWAT members survey various stores in their neighborhoods that sell tobacco and record the placement of tobacco products as well as tobacco advertising.
After the surveys are tallied and the stats are run, the SWAT members then present the results to their local government councils and urge them to create new or address old laws that relate to tobacco placement and advertising.
Steps to passing an ordinance: Information to help your county pass a product placement ordinance compiled by St. John's County SWAT. For more info, email Nancy Birchall
Decide that your SWAT team wants to actually do the work to get an ordinance passed.
Check with the County Commission office and pick a date to make your presentation. Give yourself enough time to get organized and receive your letters of support.
Pick an "O" team and an "O" team chairman. Decide a schedule of meetings and deadlines for all the tasks necessary.
Find one of your commissioners who will work with you about the local procedures in your county. Set up an appointment for the "O" team to meet with him/her.
Compile a list of individuals, businesses, and organizations who will write letters of support for your ordinance. Write your letter requesting support, and send to all on your list along with a sample support letter and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. When these letters come back to you, you will make copies of these letters for your ordinance folder to give to each commissioner.
Make appointments for one or two members of the "O" team to visit individually with each commissioner about one or two weeks before the ordinance presentation.
Write the presentation. Enhance your presentation with some applicable power point presentation slide shows.
Schedule a time to have the presenters go to the commission chambers and practice the presentation. Have some people there to critique the speakers and offer suggestions.
Contact the media and announce that you are presenting an ordinance about tobacco placement.