BUTTING OUT

It’s been 20 years since California became the first state to ban smoking in bars and most other public places. California is still leading the way in many anti-smoking campaigns, including smoking bans on city sidewalks.

SMOKE-FREE SIDEWALKS

Statewide efforts: Last April, the California excise tax on cigarettes increased $2, and in January the California Air Resources Board declared cigarette smoke a toxic pollutant. State-level policy changes have helped California’s rate for lung cancer (1988-2002) to decline four times faster than the rest of the nation.

Citywide efforts: Now cities across the state are going beyond state law and banning smoking on sidewalks and anywhere people can be exposed to secondary smoke. In 2003, Solana Beach became the first city in the continental U.S. to ban smoking at the beach. Many other beach cities followed, banning butts. In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have banned smoking in all state parks and beaches.

The percentage of smokers in California declined from 23.7 percent in 1988 to 11.6% in 2014.

E-cigarettes

As of June 2016, e-cigarettes are now included in all of California’s state-level secondhand smoke laws. Cities that write separate policies will have to specify if the law applies to e-cigarettes.

Marijuana

According to California law, marijuana or marijuana products cannot be smoked in any public place or in any location where smoking or vaporizing tobacco is prohibited. Local laws regulating smoking may be stricter than state law.

Percentage of cigarette smokers only National California Female Male Less than high school degree High school degree College 18-20 years old Male Female 21-29 years old Male Female 30-44 years old Male Female 45-64 years old Male Female 3.9 Sidewalk...

Sources: The Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing, American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, American Lung Association, Department of Health and Human Services, World Health Organization, California Department of Public Health The World Health Organization’s map of the prevalence of tobacco smoking around the world. The map shows the percentage of males over age 15 that smoke as of 2015. Less than 10% 10%-19.9% 20%-29.9% 30%-39.9% More than 40% Not applicable No data...

Source: CDC, 2016 States with fewest cigarette smokers 1. Utah, 8.8% 2. California, 11% 3. Connecticut, 13.3%