Are there any speeches on the part of Members of the Minority? (No speeches on the part of Members of the Minority.)
Are there any speeches on the part of Members of the Majority? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Fernandez.
Mr. President, at the national level, the issue of restricting the use of tobacco, particularly for minors, is certainly an issue at the national level. And the possibility -- even though I'm a little dubious SPEECHES that it will ever happen -- of a major settlement with the tobacco companies, or even it's questionable whether there will be decisive action by Congress. In light of all of the evidence that is coming out of the very disturbing and really outrageous actions by the tobacco companies over the years, particularly to target young people to get them hooked so that they will become good adult users of the product, I think that kind of evidence coming out in a debate at the federal level is very important. But here, at the local level, I think we cannot wait for any decisive action by Congress; and instead need to continue to look at all kinds of ways in which we can restrict youths' access to tobacco, and stop sending that message, because it's basically a serious, serious health hazard to begin to get hooked on a tobacco product. So the resolution that Council passed today around urging SEPTA to make sure that they do not use advertising on their buses to promote use of tobacco or alcohol, I think, is a very SPEECHES SPEECHES important step. And I think it's also important to note that -- and we'll probably hear about it next week from the budget hearings from the Licenses and Inspections Department -- L&I has been working very closely with community groups to really go after the stores in this City that are illegally selling tobacco to minors. And they've made some dramatic progress, reducing the percentage of time that young people are illegally being sold tobacco products, from 80 percent, where it used to be. It used to be 80 percent of the time that a young person could go into a store in the City of Philadelphia and get sold tobacco illegally. Now, with the work of L&I and the cooperation of community groups, they've reduced that down to 50 percent. That's a good decrease, but it is still not enough. So I think we have a lot of work still to do here at the local level, and I would urge L&I to continue their efforts to send a strong message: If you illegally sell tobacco to minors, you will be fined, you will be caught. And I SPEECHES SPEECHES think we need to reduce that percentage of sales from 80 to 50 to 0 percent. Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you very much. Are there any other speeches? (No further speeches.)
Thank you, Mr. President. I move that City Council stand adjourned until Thursday, February, 26, 1998, at 10 a.m. (Duly seconded.)
All in favor, let it be known by saying aye. All those opposed, say no. The ayes have it. This Council stands adjourned till Thursday, February 26, 1998, 10:00 a.m., in these chambers. (Adjourned at 11:31 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Thursday, February 19, 1998 were reported and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: STATED MEETING __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, RPR