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Chautauqua County may create a licensing scheme in order to better regulate businesses that sell tobacco and vaping products.
During a recent Human Services Committee meeting, county lawmakers discussed ways to address smoking, especially among young people.
According to Lynn Schaffer with the county law department, county governments cannot raise taxes on cigarettes, but it can create a licensing scheme, as long as revenue made from the licensing goes back to smoking enforcement.
“The licensing scheme would basically be a local law that sets up essentially a permit program for vendors and retailers, where they would file for a permit with the county and then depending on how you want to set this up … that unit would set up a permit that would be associated with a fee,” she said. “People would apply for the permit or fee the same way our campgrounds apply for a permit or fees, or tattoo parlors apply for a permit or a fee, which would be based