Assemblymember's bill puts target on youth tobacco use

Smoking tobacco is widely recognized as the leading preventable cause of death in the world. These products are lethal. They are known to cause cancer and significantly decrease both the longevity and quality of life.

Preventing the next generation of Californians from becoming addicted to smoking should be a priority for anyone who cares about the public health of our state and the wellbeing of our children. Assembly Bill 935 is a measured solution to address the widespread issue of youth tobacco addiction.

The bill prohibits those born on or after Jan. 1, 2007 from purchasing tobacco products, similar to laws passed in New Zealand, proposed in Norway and introduced in the Philippines.

To be clear, this bill will not affect anyone who is currently of legal age and able to purchase tobacco products. It will not punish individuals for simply using or possessing these items.

By phasing out the use of these harmful products, we can ensure that the next generation of children in California do not become addicted to smoking, and we can continue to lead as we have in California protecting public health.

A phased tobacco sales ban was also introduced in Brookline, Massachusetts. This was upheld by the Superior Court on Oct. 17, which granted the town's motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to block the law. Additionally, as of Jan. 1, 247 municipalities throughout the

United States have implemented a total sales ban on flavored tobacco products.

Since my time on the Marin County Board of Supervisors, I have made it a priority to tackle tobacco. Just days after the success in 2018 with the upholding of a flavored tobacco ban in San Francisco, I championed identical legislation at the Marin Civic Center that was ultimately adopted. I am continuing my fight against youth tobacco usage in the Legislature.

This bill is consistent with the Action on Smoking and Health global campaign's Project Sunset. It is intended “to convince policymakers to phase out the sale of commercial combustible tobacco products. It is focused entirely on the sale, not individual possession or use.”

AB 935 is consistent with the California tobacco control program's “endgame” strategies with the goal of ending the tobacco epidemic by 2035.

According to the program's executive summary, “A tobacco endgame strategy means moving beyond a focus on tobacco control (and its assumptions that tobacco is here to stay and that regulating the time, place and manner of its use is the objective) toward a focus on a future free of commercial tobacco.”

Stakeholders are reaching out to provide feedback. The intention of this bill is not to infringe upon cultural, spiritual and religious practices. We are open to further conversations moving forward. The goal of this bill is to improve public health and preventable deaths for the future generations.

AB 935 tasks the enforcement of these provisions to the state Department of Public Health, and we encourage it to establish a task force and conduct sting operations in order to ensure this bill is upheld.

I recognize several studies have cited the rate of tobacco usage among youth appears to be on the decline, which is fantastic. That being said, let's continue pushing to get that number to zero. This bill addresses the problem by preventing the next generation from purchasing any tobacco products. The goal over time is to decrease accessibility, and with it, usage.