By Mary Szarmach

My family has been in business in this state for decades serving some of the hardest working Coloradans. And, yes, they buy tobacco products, and, yes, my staff and I card them every single time. We know the law, we follow the law, and we pass our compliance checks.

That is why the city of Aurora’s proposed tobacco retail licensing plan worries me. Not because I fear being caught breaking the rules, but because it treats a small number of chronic violators and the many stores that follow the law as if they are the same problem. And, it’s not just in Aurora — it’s cities across the state.

A one-size city license may sound simple. In practice, it risks landing hardest on the businesses already doing things right.

Public inspection records from recent years tell an important story. Out of more than 1,500 compliance inspections conducted in Aurora, roughly 93% resulted in no violation. That means the overwhelming majority of retailers are checking IDs, training staff and following the rules. Those same records also show increased enforcement has already reduced violation rates significantly since 2023. That is not theory. That is real progress driven by focused enforcement.

Let me be clear. There are bad actors. I support the city holding those stores accountable. If a retailer repeatedly sells to minors, they should lose the ability to sell these products. Period.

What I do not understand is why a new and duplicative licensing system is needed to reach that outcome. A fresh city license brings new fees, more paperwork, and new ways for compliant businesses to lose the right to sell legal products over isolated mistakes. For family-owned stores like mine operating on tight margins, those added costs matter. Many of us already carry state licenses and undergo regular federal and state inspections. Layering a broad city license on top of that feels less like smart policy and more like piling on.

Like many business owners, I am also a parent. I care deeply about youth access. I do not want my kids or their friends anywhere near these products. Public health experts are right to demand action. Their own data also show enforcement works best when it is targeted and consistent, not when it spreads limited resources across every store regardless of track record.

There is a better path, and it does not require building a new licensing system. Instead of spending time and money on more paperwork, the city should put those resources where they matter most, enforcement. Aurora already relies on state licenses. The city can leverage that system by increasing compliance checks and requiring mandatory, standardized training for every retailer. Stores that do not complete training or fail inspections should face escalating consequences, while repeat violators ultimately lose the privilege to sell. Penalties collected from those violations can be reinvested into even more enforcement. That approach is tougher on bad actors, fairer to compliant businesses, and more effective at protecting kids.

As council considers this proposal, it is also worth being careful about lumping very different products into a single licensing framework. New substances raise new questions that deserve thoughtful, specific rules. Blurring them together under one license risks creating confusion rather than clarity.

We open our stores every morning knowing my responsibilities to this community. I ask the city to do the same. Focus on the real problems. Enforce the rules we already have. Hold bad actors accountable. But do not punish the businesses that are already doing their part.

Mary Szarmach is senior vice president of governmental and external affairs at Smoker Friendly and a local business owner.