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From:shruthi
To:Public Comments
Subject:EXTERNAL - Strengthening Gilroy’s Tobacco Retail License Ordinance
Date:Monday, August 4, 2025 11:39:45 AM
Attachments:2025 CATT SCC Gilroy - Google Docs.pdf
Dear City Clerk,
My name is Shruthi, and I am a student and member of Community Advocate Teens of Today
(CATT) in Santa Clara County. I’m writing to submit a public comment to the Gilroy City
Council regarding the need to strengthen the city’s existing Tobacco Retail License (TRL)
ordinance.
Please find my full letter of public comment below for inclusion in the August 4th City
Council meeting.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Shruthi Venkat
Community Advocate Teens of Today of Santa Clara County
1775 Story Road, Suite 120
San Jose, CA 95122
August 4, 2025
Gilroy City Hall
7351 Rosanna St.
Gilroy, CA 95020
Dear Gilroy City Council Members,
My name is Shruthi Venkat, and I am a student and a member of Community Advocate Teens of
Today (CATT) in Santa Clara County. As a young person growing up in this community, I see
firsthand how tobacco and nicotine products, especially vapes and flavored tobacco, are
impacting my peers every day.
It’s incredibly disheartening to walk through school campuses or nearby areas and see students
my age vaping, often with products that are clearly marketed to us with flavors like cotton candy,
mango, or mint. I’ve known people who have become addicted to nicotine before even finishing
high school, some of whom started using these products out of curiosity or peer pressure, not
realizing how dangerous and addictive they truly are.
What’s worse is how accessible these products are. In Gilroy, 11 out of 50 tobacco retailers are
located within 1,000 feet of schools. That means students are passing by vape and smoke shops
every day: on their way to school, at lunch, or after class. This normalizes tobacco use and puts
our health at risk.
As a student and youth advocate, I’m asking you to strengthen Gilroy’s current Tobacco Retail
License (TRL) ordinance to help protect my generation and future generations. Six jurisdictions
in Santa Clara County have already adopted comprehensive TRLs that include stronger
enforcement and sales restrictions. Gilroy has the opportunity to join them and take a stand for
youth health.
A stronger TRL should include:
● Enforcement measures with adequate fees to fund compliance checks and penalties;
● Density and buffer zone policies to reduce retailer concentration and protect youth
spaces;
● A ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco and vaping products, which are known to hook
young users;
● A cap on the number of retailers to prevent over-saturation in vulnerable neighborhoods.
As students, we deserve to learn, grow, and thrive in healthy environments, not ones surrounded
by the influence of harmful substances. We’re counting on you to help make that possible.
Thank you for your time and for your dedication to building a safer, healthier Gilroy.
Sincerely,
Shruthi Venkat
Student and Member, Community Advocate Teens of Today
Santa Clara County