Gilroy’s tobacco grade jumps from failing to above average

After two years in a row of flunking Santa Clara County’s tobacco report card, Gilroy upped its enforcement of tobacco retail laws, successfully bumping its grade to a “B”. 
The Gilroy Police Department conducted two extensive youth decoy operations over the past year, which earned the city 30 points on a 100-point scale. The operations hit up more than 50 percent of all tobacco retailers in the city. 
“Gilroy’s large jump from an ‘F’ grade to a ‘B’  was due to the excellent work of law enforcement,” said Amy Cornell, Santa Clara County Public Health communications manager
Gilroy received the lowest grade in the county in 2011 and 2012. 
Conducted by the county’s Public Health Department, the tobacco report card grades each city in four categories: Amount of tobacco advertising, youth access to tobacco, sales and display of tobacco, and above and beyond (extra credit).
Data is compiled from observing and recording storefront advertising and displays, law enforcement review and local municipal codes. Cities received higher scores for storefronts with tobacco-related advertising covering less than one quarter to one third of total window coverage.
No “C,” “D” or “F” grades were issued this year. Six cities were given “A” grades; eight, including Gilroy and Morgan Hill, got “B” grades. 
The biggest hurdle preventing Gilroy from obtaining an “A”, according to the report, is the lack of licensing requirements for tobacco retailers. The County Department of Health recommends that the City adopt a tobacco license ordinance. 
“It’s something we will probably look at,” said Mayor Don Gage, referring to the county’s recommendations.