California
- SLATI
- NALBOH
- NACCHO
- CDC State Tracking
- California Smokefree Ads
- California's 15-year-old tobacco control program keeps promise to California voters: new data confirm aggressive program works
- Smoke-free entryways: for the health of our community
- Smokefree Lists, Maps, and Data
- Smoking and Tobacco Use: Highlights by State
- California's 100% Smokefree Law
- California Tobacco Control 2009 Update: The Social Norm Change Approach
- Tobacco Money in California Politics
- African Americans Bear a Disproportionate Share of the Cost of Smoking in California
- The Economic Impact of Smoking on the Hispanic Community in California is Large Despite Low Smoking Prevalence
- Tobacco Control in California 2003-2007: Missed Opportunities
- Tobacco Policy Making in California 2001-2003: No Longer Finishing First
- Children's Exposure to Secondhand Smoke: Nearly One Million Affected in California
- Exemptions and Loopholes in California's Smoke-Free Workplace Law
- Top 10 Reasons to be a 100% Smoke-Free State
California's landmark statewide smokefree law, AB 13, protects millions of Californians from secondhand smoke exposure. In January 1995, many of California's enclosed public places and workplaces went smokefree, and restaurants and bars went 100% smokefree in January 1998.
Unfortunately, there are a number of exemptions that still allow smoking in some workplaces. Employers with five or fewer employees may allow smoking, but this does not apply to restaurants and bars. Employers may establish separately ventilated break rooms for smoking under certain narrow conditions. Owner-operated businesses, retail tobacco stores, cigar bars, warehouses of a specific size, hotel lobbies, and other specified workplaces are also exempt.
In 2011, a bill, AB575, was introduced to close many workplace exemptions in the state smokefree air law. However, the bill was weakened and is held up in the Senate due to political interference. Previously, the California legislature adopted a bill, AB1467, in 2007 to close the loopholes in the smokefree law, but unfortunately, then-Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill.
Thankfully, numerous California communities have adopted local 100% smokefree laws that are stronger than the state law and close the gaps in indoor coverage, providing workers and the public 100% smokefree protection in enclosed workplaces and public places. Additionally, many California communities are expanding smokefree protections to outdoor workplaces and outdoor public places where people gather, such as near building entrances, in service lines, on patio dining areas, and at parks, beaches, community events, and recreation facilities. Contact your county tobacco control program to learn how you can get involved in your community.
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Did you know? The 2005 California Tobacco Survey found that 14% of the California workforce reported being exposed to secondhand smoke on the job. This includes:
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ANR has additional information on California economic impact and public opinion data.
Read more about current tobacco-related legislation in California.
2013-2014 State Legislative Session: 12/3/2012 - 9/6/2014 (Est.)
State Quitline: http://www.nobutts.org/
State Quitline Numbers:
1-800-NO-BUTTS
(662-8887)
1-800-NO-FUME (456-6386) (Spanish)
1-800-778-8440 (Vietnamese)
1-800-838-8917 (Mandarin & Cantonese)
1-800-556-5564 (Korean)
1-800-844-CHEW
(844-2439) (Chewing Tobacco)
American Cancer Society Quitline: 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
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Smokefree & Related News
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Lafayette
ponders tougher laws against smoking Glendale
moves to ban smoking in new apartments, condos Smoking
Banned in Palo Alto City Parks City
looks to ban restaurant patio smoking Cartoon:
UCLA instates campus smoking ban Pasadena
City College may ban smoking SMOKING
BAN: butts into personal choice State
Lawmakers Moving to Regulate E-Cigarettes Students'
right to smoke versus right to clean air Proposed
Bill Would Ban "E-Cigarettes" Where Tobacco Is Already ... Health
fair promotes smoke-free housing in Vallejo Smoke-free
rentals drive continues New
plan eases restrictions on sidewalk cafes County
Psychiatric Health Facility To Be Smoke-Free Beginning May 1, 2013, the Santa Barbara Psychiatric Health Facility operated by Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services will no longer permit smoking on the premises. … E-cigarettes
at center of legislative debate California lawmakers are working to strengthen the state’s stringent smoking regulations by classifying the increasingly popular electronic cigarette as a tobacco product under the proposed Senate Bill 648. E-cigarettes are battery operated devices that contain cartridges filled with liquid nicotine instead of tobacco and create a vapor inhaled by the user. They are touted as an alternative to cigarettes without the broader health risks associated with smoke. However, with the increasing use of e-cigarettes in public, work places and in homes, legislators are questioning the effects on both users and the general public. State Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, authored the bill relating to the restriction of use and advertising of e-cigarettes. SB 648 passed its first hurdle in the Senate Health Committee Wednesday with a 6-2 vote in favor. Opponents are concerned by what they call the inaccuracies of the bill’s classification of e-cigarettes and its infringement on personal and privacy rights. SB 648 amends civil, education, government, health and safety, labor, public utilities and vehicle codes. Smoking of e-cigarettes would be banned in residential dwellings, school campuses, public buildings and places of employment, among others. The bill categorizes e-cigarettes in the same manner as tobacco leaf products such as cigarettes, cigars, loose tobacco, snuff and chewing tobacco. … USG
Senate Talks Smoke-Free Campus Matt, G.E.; Fortmann, A.L.; Quintana, P.J.E.; Zakarian, J.M.; Romero, R.A.; Chatfield, D.A.; Hoh, E.; Hovell, M.F., "Towards smoke-free rental cars: an evaluation of voluntary smoking restrictions in California," Tobacco Control 22(3): 201-207, May 2013. Introduction Some car rental companies in California and other states in the USA have established non-smoking policies for their vehicles. This study examined the effectiveness of these policies in maintaining smoke-free rental cars. Methods A stratified random sample of 250 cars (non-smoker, smoker and unknown designation) was examined in San Diego County, California, USA. Dust, surfaces and the air of each vehicle cabin were sampled and analysed for residual tobacco smoke pollutants (also known as thirdhand smoke (THS)), and each car was inspected for visual and olfactory signs of tobacco use. Customer service representatives were informally interviewed about smoking policies. Findings A majority of putative non-smoker cars had nicotine in dust, on surfaces, in air and other signs of tobacco use. Independent of a car's smoking status, older and higher mileage cars had higher levels of THS pollution in dust and on surfaces (p<0.05), indicating that pollutants accumulated over time. Compared with smoker cars, non-smoker cars had lower levels of nicotine on surfaces (p<0.01) and in dust (p<0.05) and lower levels of nicotine (p<0.05) and 3-ethynylpyridine (p<0.05) in the air. Non-smoking signage in cars was associated with lower levels of THS pollutants in dust and air (p<0.05). Conclusions Existing policies and practices were successful in lowering THS pollution levels in non-smoker cars compared with smoker cars. However, policies failed in providing smoke-free rental cars; THS levels were not as low as those found in private cars of non-smokers with in-car smoking bans. Major obstacles include inconsistent communication with customers and the lack of routine monitoring and enforcement strategies. Strengthening policies and their implementation would allow car rental companies to reduce costs, better serve their customers and make a constructive contribution to tobacco control efforts. UCLA
Campus Goes Tobacco-Free Where
Exactly Is The Smoking Ban Downtown? CSU
Chancellor responds to system-wide smoking ban resolution Glendale
Community College campus goes smoke-free When Glendale Community College students return from spring break on Monday, they will be greeted with a new warning: It's official, the campus is going smoke-free. "You'll be joining nearly 1,200 colleges nationwide and a growing number in the state of California," he told the trustees after they cast their vote. About 10 community colleges in California most of them in San Diego County have adopted no-smoking policies, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. ... Assembly
Committee Rejects Apartment Smoking Ban City
could say no to lighting up in public places The city is mulling over the expansion of its outdoor smoking ban, which could ... favor a law banning smoking in services areas (like bus stops), public parks, ... long a staunch supporter of smoking bans, said his city's ordinance has been ...
Bill
to ban smoking in condos, apartments defeated SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A proposal that sought to ban smoking in apartments and condominiums has failed in an Assembly committee. The bill from ...
Arcata
City Council in talks to expand smoking bans, increase in ... Legislation to bar millions of Californians from smoking inside their own homes ... ceilings, floors or ventilation systems with neighboring units are not subject to ... Manhattan
Beach Considers Comprehensive Smoking Ban MAKING
APARTMENTS AND CONDOS SMOKE-FREE Drifting secondhand smoke poses health concerns for even the healthiest ... the ER or stay in the hospital just because someone in an adjacent unit is smoking. … San
Francisco youth group targets tobacco retailers E-cigarettes
wishful thinking for giving up smokes, says US critic Subtle
Measures Will Best Reduce Smoking Rates Buellton
approves tobacco shop ban Walnut
Creek: Proposed smoking restrictions subject of meeting State
lawmakers consider banning smoking inside people's homes San
Ramon Smoking Restrictions, I-680 Roadwork, County Spelling Bee Winner UC
San Diego To Go Smoke Free Is
It Time to Ban Smoking in Marin's Apartments and Condos? Officials at Glendale Community College this week proposed that the
college join a small handful of smoke-free campuses statewide. …
According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, about
10 California community colleges have adopted campus-wide non-smoking
policies, most of them in San Diego County. ... Report:
Marin again ranked healthiest county in California, but ... Committee
recommends banning smoking in all of Palo Alto's small Let
the market ban smoking in apartments Palo
Alto looks to ban smoking at all small parks Committee
to consider outlawing smoking at three Palo Alto parks Editorial:
Renters deserve relief from smoking The
battle over secondhand smoke hits home The battle over secondhand smoke is intensifying in California, as the focus shifts from public spaces to the most private of places: Lighting up at home. … Liz Williams, project manager for the nonprofit Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, applauds the trend toward quashing secondhand smoke. "People, especially in California, are very used to breathing smoke-free air," she said, "and people are very upset that their home environment is often the last place they are exposed to smoke." … A
Guide to California's Proposed Ban on Smoking in Apartments Calif.
proposes sweeping anti-smoking legislation Walnut
Creek Journal News Briefs: Ideas for celebrating WC ... Condo
owners win secondhand smoke case Yap, P.; Gilbreath, S.; Garcia, C., Jareen, N., Goodrich, B., "The
influence of socioeconomic markers on the association between fine Broad
smoking ban sought in housing Riggs
Backs New Smoking Policy San
Ramon is 6th city to adopt comprehensive smoking laws, 2 others follow CCTPC:
Interest in Secondhand Smoke Policies Heating Up in ... DENNEY:
Big Tobacco's Unlikely Allies in the Effort to Keep the Poor Hooked
on Cigarettes Smoking
ban impact on Modesto-area rentals is uneven Buellton
moves closer to tobacco shop ban Dr.
Jason Eberhart-Phillips: What you don't breathe won't kill you Presidents
consider smoking ban Chico
restructuring, park smoking ban lead council agenda tonight California's
Tobacco Control Program Generates Huge Health Care Savings Top
5 Sierra Madre-Area Stories: Smoking Ban, Construction Site ... Editorial:
Anti-smoking 'investment' pays a serious return Benefits
from smoking ban Enloe
Medical Center to go tobacco-free at all locations Arcata
City Council talks smoking bans, Measure H and public transit Making
the grade on smoking ARCATA LOOKING
TO BAN SMOKING IN APARTMENTS AND ON TAVERN ROW: CITY COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT
Atascadero News-February 6, 2013 SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — All of Housing Authority of SSan Luis Obispo's public housing units are tobacco-free as of Jan. 1. The mission of HASLO is to ... Surrounded
by smoke Gay
tobacco opponents aim at secondhand smoke Smoking
ban acknowledged by national group Los
Gatos shorts: Smoking banned in parks Landlords
make effort to protect tenants from second-hand smoke Potential
California Tobacco Tax Hike: Revisiting the Tobacco Debate St.
Helena council honored for smoking ban Tobacco
report card flunks local cities Clean
Air Goes Up in Smoke – Again New
anti-tobacco ads for African American market unveiled Petaluma
council toughens smoking restrictions Petaluma
starts 2013 with trash, smoking ordinances Visalia
apartment complex goes smoke-free Anti-smoking
advocate claims Glendale City Council members pressured hospital to
fire him Contra
Costa County celebrates Casino San Pablo for contributions to cardiac
health Smoking
ban again before Bidwell Park commissioners California
State Health Officer New Tobacco Report States 34000 Deaths from Tobacco-Related
Illnesses Occur Each Year A
Survey Will Help UCR Clear the Air About Tobacco Use 52-Year-Old
Man Arrested For Breaking Smoking Laws At Santa Monica Bus Stop SF
Considers Smoking, Non-Smoking Labels For All Apartments Students
have mixed feelings about campus-wide smoking ban Petaluma
City Council expands smoking law PD
Editorial: The haze of second-hand smoke Petaluma,
Dublin Approves New Smoking Restrictions COURSEY:
Expanding the 'non-smoking section' Petaluma
City Council OKs tough smoking restrictions Fines
to be levied at Boulder Creek Parks for smoking, drinking, loud music,
camping City
Council will consider tobacco ordinance update New
E-cigarette Store Faces Resistance from West End Business Owners Proposal
would require landlords to designate non-smoking apartments Although they often butt heads, landlords and tenant advocates have
joined forces in support of a proposed new ordinance that apartment
owners believe could increase the supply of smoke-free rental housing
in The City. ... UCLA
To Become First Tobacco-Free UC Tobacco
Ban on UCLA Campus Coming This Spring What
You Need to Know About Santa Monica's New Smoking Law Santa
Monica Adopts New Smoking Law For All Multi-Unit Housing ... After a year of debate, the Santa Monica City Council gave final approval
Tuesday to a law that bans smoking in all apartment and condo units
occupied after November 22. … Santa
Cruz council OKs tobacco retail fee More
Cities Ban Smoking In Apartment Buildings People
on the Street for Oct. 21 New:
Tell Your Rent Board This Friday You Need to Breathe Clean Air Should
E-cigarettes be Regulated in San Rafael? California
city bans smoking in duplexes and other multi-family homes Chico
City Council to consider 20-foot smoking rule for businesses Glendale
council will revisit smoking rule Santa
Monica Council Revives Smoking Ban in Apartments Kids
Strapped in for Secondhand Smoke Santa
Monica Smoking Ban The ordinance also forces landlords to ask existing tenants to designate their apartments smoking, non-smoking or decline to disclose. They lose the right to ...
Designated
smoking areas listed This comes after the council approved a smoking ban in the parks in February with the provision designated smoking areas be allowed. Cigarette butt ...
Smoke-free
parks policies catching on The Arbuckle Parks and Recreation District is coming up on an unusual anniversary. Since Oct. 8 of last year, the parks within the district have been tobacco-free ...
San
Rafael officials approve tough new smoking rules Brown
Vetoes Long-Term Care Facility Smoking Ban Proposed
tobacco ban at fair fails Glendale
Could Have New Smoking Ordinance CARLSBAD:
Council backs restaurant patio smoking ban Property manager Lisa Snyder said the owners of the Village Faire banned
smoking on most of the property about a half-dozen years ago, but there
are two ... Glendale
to review possible changes to citywide smoking laws Should
Carlsbad Ban Smoking in Outdoor Dining Areas? Council
gives OK to hookah lounge ... open a hookah lounge and dance club, after the Planning Commission declined to approve a conditional-use permit. ... "I'm not going to say tobacco's good, I just don't," he said. "But two blocks away we have a drive-through cigarette store. Smoking
ban at Redding parks moves forward Whittier
council votes to ban smoking in parks Smoke-free
parks in Anderson? Sort of Several
Multi-Unit Housings in San Bernardino County Go Smoke ... Apartment and townhome complexes in the cities of San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Redlands, Colton, Rancho Cucamonga, Alta Loma, and Rialto have implemented regulations to protect residents in multi-unit housing from environmental exposure to secondhand smoke. … Fremont
to re-examine smoking ordinance Fremont City Councilwoman Sue Chan would like to place more regulations
to protect non-smokers and improve the city's grade from the American
Lung Association. Chan asked fellow leaders Tuesday to approve a referral
to authorize city staffers to re-examine the smoking ordinance. … Council
considers tightening smoking regulations Craig
Allen: It's Time for Santa Barbara to Ban Smoking Applauds
Palomar's anti-smoking policy Editorial:
Smoking ban would clean up Redding's parks Smoking
ban on the way: Will Prohibit Smoking in Business Doorways Glendale
to consider more smoking restrictions for apartment buildings City
manager, smoking ban on Chico City Council agenda Smoking
in state's rural areas still too high Smoking
ordinance needs protection Smoking ordinance needs protection ... 21, the Glendale City Council
will be reviewing all of the current tobacco control ordinances and
opening them up for ... Glendale
considers restricting smoking in apartment buildings Pasadena's ban on smoking in apartment units is set to begin next year, but Santa ... night, he'd like to explore the possibility of banning smoking in apartment units over time, ... Glendale bans smoking in general, including hookah, inside most ... SAN
MARCOS: Palomar College starts enforcing smoking ban The Palomar College governing board banned tobacco from its properties Tuesday, after years of student efforts to make the campus a smoke-free ... Solano
Community College campuses aim to be smoke free After fielding complaints about smokers near the child care center, the Solano Community College is moving toward making its campuses smoke-free, the school announced Friday. Solano College on Aug. 1 implemented its new smoke-free campus policy which al... Seeking
non-smoking options After so many states banned smoking in public places, cities around
the U.S. are ... A number of cities in California have implemented a
non-smoking ban in ... Council
to mull park smoking ban Methodist
Hospital Campus to Become Tobacco-Free Grover
Beach parks poised to go smokeless Visitors to parks in Grover Beach may no longer be able to light up,
if a tentative City Council decision is affirmed. The council unanimously
voted last week to ban smoking at all city parks, including ... affairs;
consider banning smoking from public parks and surrounding sidewalks.
... Smoking would be banned at county mini-parks and neighborhood parks,
... Banned
Smokers Migrate From Mercy Hospital To Sacramento Woman’s Front
Lawn It's an artfully crafted argument. Joanie Pope-Ferry has a message
for Mercy Hospital. “I didn’t want to be too mean about it
and too negative, but I wanted to get my point across,” said Pope-Ferry.
Now she’s had her message made into a mural on her fence. “The
smell of smoke comes in my windows,” said Pope-Ferry. It’s
aimed at hospital visitors who smoke. It reads “Mercy have mercy,
no smoking please and don’t make an ash of yourself.” …. Medical
pot patients may doom strict smoking ban SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Medical marijuana users appear to be partly
responsible for Santa Monica's decision to shelve a strict residential
smoking ban aimed at ... Smoking
Ban In Santa Monica Apartments, Condos Stalls In Second ... An ordinance banning smoking in multi-unit residences failed to muster
... Smoking Ban In Santa Monica Apartments, Condos Stalls In Second
... Two weeks ago, council members approved a proposed ordinance that
would have banned new ... Proposed
residential smoking ban in Santa Monica fails Santa Monica city leaders tabled a ban on residential smoking, citing
... Weiss said he supported the city's bans on smoking on the Promenade
and the Santa Monica ... In Santa Monica, smoking is banned at public
parks, beaches, libraries, ... Smoking
ban may gasp final breath CITY HALL A controversial decision to ban smoking for new tenants
and condominium owners in Santa Monica looks likely to be reversed today
with two of its former supporters signaling a change of heart. … Let
'em smoke, Santa Monica For years, Santa Monica has banned smoking on city beaches, in parks
and near public buildings. Now it's considering expanding the prohibition.
On Tuesday, the City Council is scheduled to vote on a plan to bar new
renters from smoking inside their apartments and condos. The council
should demonstrate restraint and vote no. ... ... Chula Vista approves vacancy decontrol at mobile home parks ·
Mobile park upset by rent-control law · Santa Monica tightening
smoking restrictions ... Supervisor
Eric Mar, Happy Meal Crusader, Adds Smokers to the ... Supervisor Eric Mar, the unhappy french fry guy, has taken on some
rather dubious causes: Banning Happy Meals and stripper mobiles. But
since 86ing cheap meat and strippers isn't going to totally protect
your children from this terrible place called Earth, Mar has decided
to go ahead and ban smoking at local street fairs, too. … A San Francisco Supervisor is looking to crack down on the smoking
in public with a proposed bill that would ban tobacco use at outdoor
events such as street fairs and concerts. Don’t worry, smoking
pot is still cool--this is San Francisco, after all. … Only in San Francisco. Elected officials there are considering a law
that would extend the city's smoking ban to any outdoor events held
on city pro... San Luis Obispo County supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday that
prohibits smoking in or near county-owned buildings and facilities,
community parks ... WITH a new secondhand smoke law pending, Santa Monica s apartment houses
and condominiums should display signs saying either "CAUTION! SMOKERS
... Dublin
moratorium on new tobacco retailers fizzles DUBLIN -- An attempt to stem a possible influx of new tobacco sellers,
hoping to locate here before the city can adopt tough new tobacco rules,
fizzled at the City Council meeting Tuesday. ... San Luis Obispo County supervisors split 3-2 on a decision to ban smoking at county facilities. On July 17, Supervisors Frank Mecham and Paul Teixeir... SLO
County Supervisors Approve Changes to Smoking Ban San Luis Obispo- The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve an ordinance to ban smoking outdoors in parts of San Luis Obispo ...Smoking will be restricted outside all 19 Licking County government properties, but just how restrictive has not been determined. Keeping
a copy for the library Supervisors vote to snuff smoking at county sites State parks would not be included in the ban. ... He said smoking bans
elsewhere have reduced the number of people smoking and that it is government's
responsibility to protect the health of its ... Flagrant or repeat violators
will be banned. Many non-smokers are in favor of this ban, while smokers and non-smokers who are ... be a hefty weight when considering whether or not these bans are wise. … Smoking
Banned Inside Santa Monica Residences Smoking is already banned at beaches, parks, restaurants and near ... council sought to expand that prohibition and voted 4-2 to ban smoking for all new tenants. ... The coastal city's smoking bans date back almost two decades and Radinsky ... Claremont
council passes resolution adopting smoke free environment The Claremont City Council on Tuesday night passed a resolution against
second-hand smoke in outdoor areas. There is no enforcement for the
resolution but there will be $2,000 worth of signage and marketing ... Claremont
to consider eliminating second-hand smoke in outdoor ... City leaders are considering a new stand against second-hand smoke.
The City Council on Tuesday will vote on a resolution against smoking
that will also include funding ... In April 2010, the city voted 4-1
against a previous ordinance to ban smoking in areas such as ... Smoking
bans are nothing new in the Inland Valley. … Cerritos
Council Approves City Budget and FEMA in Cerritos The city's budget along with other topics such as secondhand smoke and CALEMA/FEMA in Cerritos were on the agenda. … FORUM:
Will others follow Del Mar Fair lead? California landlords can forbid smoking in common areas and individual
units. But the smoking ban must be included in each tenant's rental
agreement. … Tobacco
Money in California Politics (PDF) Smoking
officially snuffed out in county housing Smoking is banned in the county's Housing Authority apartments. ...
for five years, so he feels banning smoking inside the building is outrageous.
... HACK's Deputy Director Patricia Norris says the ban should not come
as a surprise to tenants. … Letter:
Tobacco companies keep winning SELLER:
Analysis: The Establishment Killed Cig Tax Prop. 29 Editor: The effort of the Kings County Tobacco-Free Partnership in working with multi-unit housing complexes on the adoption of voluntary smoke-free policies should be commended. … Tobacco-free
parks We find ourselves in a quandary. On one hand, we applaud the Fremont
City Council’s approval of a resolution that prohibits tobacco
use in city parks and trails except in designated areas. But we also
can’t help being concerned about another governmental intrusion
into our lives. … The Department of Beaches and Harbors banned smoking on any beach within
... the only piers remaining that don't fall under a smoking ban are
the Belmont ... SLO
County considers new smoking ban County
may ban smoking on public property San Luis Obispo County supervisors introduced an ordinance Tuesday
that would prohibit smoking in county-owned buildings, community parks
and all properties that surround county facilities, including walkways
and parking lots. … The city may soon ban smoking on the Redondo Beach Pier if Councilman
Pat Aust gets his way. … Clearing
the air Smokers in two apartment complexes in Northern Santa Barbara County
will have to find someplace else to light up, if they're to comply with
a smoking ban ... Redondo Beach Councilman Pat Aust has proposed banning smoking on the
city s pier. Under the city s Municipal Code, smoking is currently outlawed
in parks, ... a comprehensive smoking ordinance that bans lighting up
in nearly all public ... LETTER:
The right to breathe public transit districts are allied with the Americans with Disabilities Act and have instituted the policy prohibiting smoking within 20 feet of their transit stops for just this reason. When I emailed Petaluma Transit Division Manager Joe Rye about my California's
cigarette tax initiative picking up votes in late tally Proposition 29, the $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes in California, is narrowing the gap with the 'no' vote as mail-in ballots are counted. ... Ban
on smoking in county parks considered Smoking would be banned at county mini-parks and neighborhood parks, in parking lots near county buildings and in other outdoor locales under an ordinance being considered by the county Board of Supervisors. ... Medical
center takes healthy step The decision to become a completely non-smoking facility was made by
a hospital committee composed of smoking and non-smoking employees as
well as ... Landlord
imposes smoking ban on 2000 California apartments The Towbes Group Inc. of Santa Barbara said it has become the largest apartment portfolio in California to impose a no-smoking policy on individual units and common areas. Cigarette
tax back from the dead Despite headlines saying that it lost Tuesday's vote, the fate of California's
proposed $1-a-pack tax hike on cigarettes is still in limbo, and state
officials said late Thursday that a final result is likely weeks away.
… The Arcadia City Council has unanimously passed a ban on smoking in
parks and recreation areas, with the exception of the Par-3 Golf Course.
The ordinance follows a report by the American Lung Association that
gave Arcadia an “F” grade in air quality. … Prop
29 Loses In Tight Vote Count California's Proposition 29, the ballot measure to raise the state's
sales tax on tobacco products, has failed by a very slight margin. ... Prop 29 supporters won't concede defeat until absentee votes are counted. 29 has gone up in smoke, there is no doubt an onslaught of negative
advertising by Big Tobacco left it wheezing and close to collapse. The
cigarette industry ... ... largest U.S. tobacco manufacturers has helped defeat a cigarette
excise-tax ... Passage of the proposition would raise the state's excise
tax on cigarettes by $1, ... of State office, Reynolds and its affiliates
spent $14.1 million on advertising, ... The Santa Barbara-based Towbes Group Inc. said its new smoke-free policy
will affect 480 units at Cypress Meadows, Cypress Point and Ralston
Courtyards. Cigarette
showdown as Californians vote on tax The new law would raise taxes on every pack of cigarettes by $1, yielding
an ... here in California and on tobacco prevention and cessation programs
to protect kids ... About $47 million has been raised in efforts --
including TV advertising -- to ... But tobacco companies and their allies say that voter approval of an
extra tax in the nation's largest cigarette market would crush owners
of small businesses ... Smokers in the state bought about 970 million
packs of cigarettes - spending ... Medical Association, were too poor
to mount an early advertising campaign, he said. … AN ADVERTISING blitz funded by tobacco companies has eroded Californians'
support for a ballot measure to be voted on today to raise taxes on
cigarettes, ... On a 4-1 vote, Council approved an ordinance that will ban smoking
in public parks except in designated areas. ... Gilroy's smoking ban would subject those caught smoking where it is
prohibited to ... Since the county enforced smoking bans, several cities
have followed suit. ... to consider banning smoking in parks ·
How to spend $1.3M of the city's money ... The Riverside County Department of Public Health program that targets
second-hand smoke reaches a milestone. … New
non-smoking rules in west county If smokers think they can go to incorporated areas such as Sebastopol
or Santa Rosa to light up, sorry. The same ordinance has already been
adopted by those ... This year, Proposition 29 is facing long odds to overcome Big Tobacco
s vast ... Courtesy Californians For A Cure -- Screen grab of the 15
second video ad ... fund research to cure cancer caused by cigarette
smoking and other kinds of cancer. ... Proposition 29, the ballot measure
that would raise taxes on cigarettes by $1 a ... An advertising blitz funded by tobacco companies has eroded Californians'
support for a ballot measure to raise taxes on cigarettes, putting the
vote's outcome ... Dr. La Donna Porter as she appears in a political television ad, urging
voters to ... raise the current 87 cents-a-pack tobacco tax to a $1
a pack on cigarettes, with the .... 86 Increase cigarette taxes by $2.60
a pack 2006 general $16.5 million ... California hasn't raised cigarette taxes in a decade, and the tobacco
industry will ... slap an additional $1-per-pack tax on cigarettes and
other tobacco products to ... Medical Association, were too poor to
mount an early advertising campaign, ... ... leaders have weighed in regarding Proposition 29, the cigarette
tax measure on ... 5 California ballot which has generated a good deal
of television advertising. ... Money raised by Proposition 29's additional
tax on tobacco products would ... He says voters who know that cigarettes are cheaper in California are
more likely to ... As Reynolds speaks in the spot, a list of 32 State
tobacco taxes all higher than California's scrolls up. ... Sara
Boyns: Employees smoking outside of the workplace Local ordinances may also help employers in controlling the smoking
habits of employees. Salinas prohibits smoking in common work areas
occupied by ... Beginning today, smoking is prohibited in outdoor restaurant and bar
areas that fall within the jurisdiction of Sonoma County. … The
rule bans smoking in outdoor dining areas such as patios at restaurants,
bars ... its existing no-smoking ordinance by banning smoking in multi-unit
housing, ... In December, smoking was banned on all county-owned property,
entryways ... Outdoor areas at restaurants and bars off-limits for Sonoma County
smokers. ... Restaurants, bars forced to ban smoking in outdoor areas
... Smoking is already banned in common areas of apartment complexes,
county-owned properties, and ... Second-hand
smoke measure in the works The Buellton City Council gave first approval to a law that snuffs
out smoking in most public places. By a 4-1 vote, the council on May
24 voted to ban smoking within 20 feet of businesses and at bus stops
and transit centers, in retail and service lines, in 75% of outdoor
dining areas and other places. The ban would not apply to outdoor seating
sections of bars. … She also urged the board to include electronic
cigarettes under the ban. Introduced in the United States five years
ago, electronic cigarettes do not burn tobacco ... For example, for the tobacco-free living objective, the department
will work to increase the number of multi-unit housing complexes that
protect tenants from ... New rules implemented at the beginning of this year ban smoking in
Alameda’s commercial corridors and shopping centers, at public
events like farmer’s markets and fairs, on beaches and at bus stops.
They will also prohibit smoking in all of Alameda’s multi-unit
housing as of January 1, 2013. ... Vote
yes for Prop. 29 A tax of $1 per pack of cigarettes is reasonableand timelyespecially
... is one of only three states that have not raised its cigarette tax
in more than a decade. ... Big tobacco spends more than $1 million an
hour nationally on advertising and ... Tobacco-related diseases kill more Blacks than AIDS, violence and other
... African American high school students, the price of menthol cigarettes
goes down ... … Should smoking tobacco be banned within multi-unit apartment buildings? Yes … BOKHARI:
Big Tobacco blows smoke in its campaign to deceive voters ... increasing the state tax on cigarettes means more money for California
and less money shipped to them in Virginia and North Carolina. Bloomberg News - May 27, 2012 "If California voters do not sign off on an increase of cigarette
taxes in a very nonsmoking state, and punishing tobacco companies that
nobody likes, courtesy of ads featuring a cancer victim and Lance Armstrong,
I'm not sure what tax increase can pass. Big
Tobacco has no shame; show them a loss on Proposition 29 The shameful, deceitful, irresponsible ad campaign by Big Tobacco on
... to defeat a $1 per pack tax on cigarettes that could save hundreds
of thousands of lives ... help keep the state from dipping into previously
adopted cigarette tax revenue. … Smoking on campus can harm students, employees, professors and children
in the ... Secondhand smoke will surely harm everyone, especially people
with ... I hear on television about how bad secondhand smoking is, and the toxic
waste caused by this problem. Think about the animal and wildlife dangers.
... Proposition 29 on the June 5 ballot has brought smoking back to the
fore in California. … In the workplace, California's smokers have
experienced a relative lull in critical focus since the landmark smoke-free
workplace legislation was passed in the ... Tobacco
money swaying California voters Prop 29 support erodes as dollars pile up • 'Speaks loudly about how a well-funded opposition is able to raise voters' doubts and distrust' Support
for Calif. tobacco tax hike falls off The measure would increase California's tax on a pack of cigarettes to $1.87 to fund ... for the measure with advertising that claims it would establish an unaccountable ... Asked a general question about views on increasing taxes on cigarette ... Second-hand
smoke dangers are real The ordinance would spell out areas that would be off limits to smokers, including local parks. It would also require retailers to buy a permit from the city to sell ... VIDEO:
New satirical ad: Californians "supporting" Big Tobacco Portal A, the much-lauded ad creators who gave California the "Ed
Lee's 2 Legit 2 Quit" video is now taking on Big Tobacco . . .
A version of this ad debuted last night on ABC's "Dancing with
the Stars." Marin
County outlaws smoking in multi-family housing complexes An ordinance banning smoking in apartment and condominium complexes
in Marin's unincorporated areas drew unanimous approval from the Marin
County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. … No one protested the
proposal, which drew support from a spectrum of groups represented by
the Smoke Free Marin Coalition as well as the American Lung ... Belmont was the trendsetter in this housing complex anti-smoking ban,
when it ... ordinance this week banning smoking in apartment and condo
complexes in ... John
R. Seffrin and Lance Armstrong: Give Big Tobacco a kick in the ash and
save- lives Op-Ed:
Vote Yes on Proposition 29 As a doctor who has seen many lives destroyed by cigarette smoking,
and as ... The fact is Prop 29 is opposed – almost singularly
by Big Tobacco and their agents. ... The Vista City Council is scheduled to decide on Tuesday whether to
adopt an ordinance banning hookah lounges in the city. … A hookah
is a water pipe in which flavored tobacco placed at the top of the ...
regulations also define “hookah pipe” and specify that cigarettes
and cigars are not ... Cal
State Fullerton to become first smoke-free CSU campus Lighting up anywhere on the grounds of Cal State Fullerton will be
forbidden under a new policy that makes Fullerton the first completely
smoke-free campus in ... California State University, Fullerton has adopted a campus-wide smoking
ban. ... banned smoking on most of the campus in 2003 but the new rule
also bans ... Last week, the fair board voted to go smoke-free in 2013. That's right.
The policy won't be enacted for another year. That means a projected
1.5 million fairgoers ... The region's biggest draws including Legoland, Petco Park, Qualcomm
Stadium, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are
all smoke-free, ... Corte
Madera bans smoking in town parks Lighting up will be prohibited in all Corte Madera parks next month
after the Town Council approved changes to the town's smoking ordinance.
… Lappert said he voted against the amendment because he believes
the dangers of second-hand smoke are overstated and a smoking ban in
parks is ... MONTEREY PARK - At Wednesday’s meeting, the City Council will
hold the first reading of an ordinance to ban smoking in outdoor dining
and shopping areas. … Proposition
29 Gives Smokers One More Reason To Quit Smokers can choose from an array of services to help them quit for good. ... 2012; Smoking Continues In San Diego Parks Despite Ban | April 13, 2010; Free ... County
endorses law outlawing tobacco smoking in apartments A measure cracking down on smoking tobacco in multifamily apartments in ... It's a revised version of an ordinance approved several months ago, then sent back ... Monterey
County passes tough tobacco sales law "I'm thrilled," said Dale Hillard, chairman of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free ... County health director Ray Bullick led a group of Tobacco-Free Coalition ... San
Diego County Fair to go smoke-free in 2013 If smoking was banned in all workplaces the quit rate would increase
74 percent, the report states. Watson said if an all-out ban can't be
accomplished within a ... Effective
Tuesday Be Careful Where You Smoke The City of Mountain View's smoking ban goes into effect in outdoor
dining areas, picnic park areas and within 25-feet of any smoke-free
area. … The mayor has gotten smoking banned in New York City bars and parks
and now he is taking aim at curbing the habit in the Golden State. Mayor
Michael Bloomberg has launched an online donation page to raise money
for the California Cancer Research Act, aka Prop. 29. The ballot initiative,
which goes to polls next month, will levy a $1 per pack tax on cigarettes
to help pay for cancer research and other initiatives. … The Corte Madera Town Council on Tuesday will take another look at
its move to leave ABAG and an ordinance to ban smoking within town parks. Tough
sell for tobacco taxes in California Every morning when UC San Diego physicist Herbert Levine laces up his
running shoes and chugs alongside Mission Bay, his earphones crackle
with radio ads opposing a proposed $1-per-pack cigarette tax to raise
money for cancer research. … The June 5 ballot initiative would
raise cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to fund tobacco-related disease research.
Its supporters lack the funds for a ... Jerry
Brown fires doctor in anti-tobacco tax ad Under pressure from health advocates, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday removed a controversial physician from a state health board after she appeared in an industry-funded ad against a tobacco tax hike on the June ballot. ... Designated
smoking areas needed on campus A majority of public buildings in the country, with a few exemptions
like casinos, are smoke-free indoors. Seems obvious since the ‘50s
when it was acceptable to smoke pretty much anywhere. … There are
at least 704 smoke-free campuses in the country, according to the American
Non-Smokers' Rights Foundation. … Big Tobacco will spend $40 million this spring to convince Californians
that Proposition 29's $1 per pack tax increase on cigarettes is a fiscal
fiasco. … Buellton
to consider secondhand-smoke law Smoking in many public places in Buellton could soon vanish like a puff from ... 20 feet of businesses and ban all smoking at bus stops and transit centers, ... Disappointing
editorial As a doctor who has seen many lives destroyed by cigarette smoking,
and as an American Heart Association volunteer, I am very disappointed
with the Ventura County Star’s recommendation to vote “no”
on Prop 29. Think about this: right now, cardiovascular disease is the
No. 1 killer in California, with 30 percent of these deaths attributed
to smoking. We have a chance to change the tide with Prop 29. This proposed
$1 tobacco tax – paid only by those who purchase tobacco products
– will save 104,000 lives, stop 228,000 kids from smoking and generate
more than $500 million every year to support advances in the prevention,
detection and treatment of heart disease, cancer and other smoking-related
illnesses. … Fairgrounds
moves up timetable for going smoke-free DEL MAR — A smoke-free Del Mar Fairgroundds will likely be a reality sooner ... was to wait until 2014 to ban cigarettes from the property altogether and ... Ordinance
bans Halloween smoking May 8, 2012 The Susanville City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday,
May 2 to prohibit smoking on Main Street during Safe and Sane Halloween.
Two tobacco giants chipped in another $15 million against a tobacco
tax initiative on Friday, bringing their running tally to $38 million
in the Proposition 29 campaign, state records show. … The new donations
by RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Philip Morris USA and their affiliates came
as the No on 29 campaign launched a new television attack ad featuring
... Dan
Morain: Big tobacco's unlikeliest ally Koeppel:
To breathe or not to breathe Whenever my daughter and I walk by someone who is smoking we look at
each other, ... That's because there is no safe level of exposure to
secondhand smoke. … Campus
smokers face $48 fine Smokers now have something in common with students who ride their bikes
on campus - fines. As of April 1, those who smoke too closely to buildings
will be warned first, and then could face a $48 fine. … The smoking
areas have been chosen to minimize involuntary exposure to smoke while
providing reasonably convenient, safe and comfortable locations for
those ... Hookah
lounges could be unhealthy trend in Kern County Policing
Smoking Laws No Walk In The Park Vote
on cigarette tax delayed The San Luis Obispo County Health Commission has postponed a decision
on whether to endorse a June ballot measure that would increase cigarette
taxes until it receives more information. … Proposition 29 would
add a tax on cigarettes to raise money for cancer research, ... Reynolds
American Inc., which includes RJ Reynolds Tobacco, ... Tobacco
Firms Step Up Efforts To Defeat Cigarette Tax Hike Measure Tobacco companies -- including Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds -- are
spending tens ... so the cigarette industry will have to spend their
advertising budget ... Tobacco companies are contributing more than $20 million to the campaign
to defeat Proposition 29, outspending the pro-tax campaign which
is supported by bicycling star and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong
by more than 5 to 1. We couldn't disagree more with their reasons for
doing so, and it makes us uncomfortable to agree with them at all, but
from our perspective, this initiative takes perfectly good tax money
and misspends it; we'd rather see an alternative proposal that hikes
the cigarette tax but spends the money more wisely. We recommend a no
vote on Proposition 29. … by Michael Moore Staff Writer In a bizarre sequence of procedures,
the city council banned smoking outdoors in public places Wednesday.
Kind of. … A group of Half Moon Bay teens wants to clear the smoke from apartments
like ... he would introduce an ordinance banning smoking in multifamily
housing. … Tobacco
industry gearing up to take down California cigarette tax ... In what is quickly turning into another high-stakes policy battle to
be decided by California voters, tobacco giants Philip Morris and R.J.
Reynolds are forking over tens of millions of dollars to defeat a new
tobacco tax on the June ballot. … Proposition 29, which would boost
taxes by $1 a pack of cigarettes to $1.87, ... so the cigarette industry
will have to spend their advertising budget ... In a month, it will be tougher to smoke outside in public areas of
Morro Bay. Stopping short of the outright ban that was originally proposed,
the Morro Bay City Council on Tuesday voted to forbid smoking within
20 feet of entranceways, vents and other places where smoke could enter
an enclosed area. … Stopping short of the outright ban that was
originally proposed, ... Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach also have rules
banning smoking in public places. By Michael Munoz The smoking ban that will sweep Cal State Fullerton
starting summer 2013 is in the final process of becoming a University
Policy Statement ... Funding requests from outside agencies for the upcoming budget year
and a proposed secondhand-smoke ordinance are up for consideration tonight
by the Buellton City Council. ... By having tobacco retailer licensing, Long said, the city would not
only be able to regulate who's selling, but also hold the owners accountable. I had asked whether we should pass ordinances we cannot really enforce.
Nearly half of the four dozen comments I got favored the anti-smoking
ordinance ... By the Mercury News "I think being subjected to second-hand smoke
is such an infringement on my right ... This goes for any law, not just
bans on smoking. GLANTZ:
Prop 29 opponents California Taxpayers Assn and California Hispanic
Chambers of Commerce have financial ties to Philip Morris Smoke
signals: City to install no-smoking signs at all city parks Council
tables smoking ordinance to April 25 The council was scheduled to vote on the ordinance at the regular meeting, but a series of motions to approve different versions of an outdoor smoking ban ... Backers,
Critics of Smoking in Parks Seem Agreeable to Separation ... The Santee Smoke Free Parks Community Kick Off was held at West Hills High School and featured ... echoing the general sentiment of the opposition to a ban. Smoke-Free
Santee Parks meeting draws sparse crowd He helps run the anti-smoking advocacy and tobacco awareness website ... as well as the county itself, in banning smoking from public parks and beaches. Herhold: Can anti-smoking laws be enforced outdoors? SiliconValley.com - April 18, 2012 By Scott Herhold Linda York has good reason for detesting smoking. ... When smoking was first banned inside restaurants, there wasn't much police ... Dublin
begins work to stamp out smoking, tobacco related products Much to the chagrin of upset smokers and tobacco retailers, Dublin began work Tuesday on a tobacco ordinance that could become one of the Bay Area's toughest. The city is considering restrictions that could spell the end for some current tobacco retailers and limit where future sellers could locate. San
Rafael considers tougher smoking ordinance San Rafael is considering strengthening its smoking ordinance. … According to the Marin Independent Journal, city employees had recommended that smoking be banned in 75 percent of apartments in buildings with 16 units or ... Smoke-Free
Santee Parks Hits the Mainstage The " Santee Smoke Free Parks Community Kick Off" will be
held at West Hills High School Wednesday starting at 7 p.m., a community
forum meant to drum up support for an ordinance that would ban smoking
in Santee city parks. … San Rafael employees had recommended that council members ban smoking
in 75 percent of apartments in buildings with 16 units or more and in
all outdoor ... by Michael Moore Staff Writer The city of Morgan Hill is set to snuff
out smoking in many outdoor public areas, but some area businesses think
the proposed ... Dan
Morain: Big Tobacco fires up anti-tax effort Designate
rental units as non-smoking While the health consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke are well-known,
in the debate on smoke-free homes, apartment owners and managers should
also ... By Bianca Kaplanek DEL MAR A smoke-free fair in two years, a
possible collaboration with Del Mar to help that city meet its affordable
housing ... Housing
Authority Of Kern County Passes Non-Smoking Policy On ... The Housing Authority Of Kern County has passed a non-smoking policy
banning smoking in and around all of its units. In January, the state
passed a law ... He lives in the Baker Street Apartments, a nonsmoking facility. He
says he questions his safety when he goes outside for a smoke. … Lighting up in apartment buildings or at outdoor locations may soon
get tougher in San Rafael as officials consider changes to an existing
smoking ordinance. … Last April the Larkspur City Council adopted
a smoking ban in at least 80 percent of condominium and apartment units.
The ordinance also outlawed smoking at ... SJ
city coucil approves new restrictions on smoking The ordinance amends the city's municipal code to make smoking illegal in outdoor dining ... but to help put the ban into effect and handle complaints. Smoking
Outside in the City's West Side Just Got Trickier An ordinance passed in San Jose that restricts smoking in outdoor spaces will effect smokers who live, work or play on Cupertino's Western edge. City
to put tighter restrictions on tobacco retailers "Tobacco sales so close to kids in school? It doesn't seem like its a good ... "The best thing about a conditional use permit is the word conditional," ... Full
smoking ban coming for local hospital Where there's smoke, there's ill health and as of Earth Day, smoking on all Lake of the Woods District Hospital hospital property will be restricted to ... Hospital
campus to become smoke-free It means smoking will be prohibited anywhere on the Hospital grounds,
and not just inside the buildings. Pioneers Memorial Hospital says the
new regulation ... San
Jose considering extension to outdoor smoking ban San
Jose will decide at April 10 council meeting whether to expand ...
The San Jose City Council will decide at its April 10 meeting whether
to extend its outdoor non-smoking policy to restaurants and cafes, common
areas of apartments and condos and lines for services such as ATMs and
box offices. ... …Even though we live in an era when the dangers of smoking are
known and ... in places such as San Jose, where outdoor smoking bans
have been proposed. … Ala,
California tie for anti-smoking ordinances (WIAT) - When it comes to protecting the rights of non-smokers, our state is topping the charts. Despite not having a state-wide indoor smoking ban, Alabama was listed as one of two states with the best laws protecting non-smokers. ... The honors were given by Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. It took place at the annual smoke free indoor challenge awards. … Campus
takes steps towards being a smoke-free zone ... An increasing number of colleges have adopted smoke-free or tobacco-free policies in the past few years, according to American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation Project Manager Liz Williams. In the past year alone, 120 campuses were added to the smoke-free list. … Alabama,
California tied for first place ranking in passing anti ... … The two states tied for first place in the Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights annual Smokefree Indoor Air Challenge Award, which recognizes the states that achieve the greatest number of strong local smoke-free laws each year. … Monterey
Park council moves forward with smoking ban The City Council voted last week to draft an ordinance banning smoking
in public outdoor ... The city already bans smoking in public parks
and buildings. … Wednesday, thousands of youth across the country participated in over
1100 events for Kick Butts Day, including several in Tehama County.
… Changes
to Smoking Ban Effective Today Starting today smokers in Newport Beach will have to keep their habit away from the city's parks and beaches. … According to a city staff report, banning smoking around the specified ... Smoking was already banned on beaches, the boardwalk, public piers and within 25 ... No
smoking 'buffer zone' enacted near Newport Beach's coastline Starting today, smoking is prohibited within 100 feet of Newport Beach’s parks and beaches. The Newport Beach City Council approved the ban on Feb. 28, according to city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan, who noted that smoking also is banned on the boardwalk next to the beaches. Smokers can light up, however, ... Sacramento
Connect: Elk Grove's tough anti-smoking proposal goes up in smoke
The Elk Grove City Council agreed unanimously last night not to pursue
a tough anti-smoking ordinance for the city' apartments. … The
matter was brought before the city council following last years decision
to ban smoking within 300 feet of playgrounds, schools, day care centers
and ... Op
Ed: Youth Support Parks Smoking Ban I am writing to urge the Milpitas City Council to pass smoke-free parks
and recreation areas, smoke-free outdoor dining, and tobacco retail
licensing ... The City Council voted last week to draft an ordinance banning smoking
in public outdoor ... The city already bans smoking in public parks
and buildings. Elk
Grove considers banning smoking at apartment complexes Landlords have the choice to designate their rental properties smoke-free under a California state law enacted Jan. 1. Elk Grove will consider banning ... Pulse
of the Pac: Mar. 20 A ban in November on smoking in or near University of California medical
centers began a string of planned changes in smoking policy for the
UC system. This series of bans is now hitting home. Starting this fall,
university-owned apartments will be smoke-free. ... Where
Breathing is Easy: Smoke-Free Anderson (Anderson, CA) - …The City responded by approving an ordinance
that prohibits smoking at outdoor locations where children and residents
are most likely to be exposed to ... … I don't smoke at home,” he said. But a ban also would not
cause him to change ... was the only city that had not instituted a
law banning smoking at parks. … He said they had been smoking medical marijuana in the plaza since
it began as ... before California voters passed the Proposition 8 same-sex
marriage ban. … By Brenda Gazzar, SGVN The Arcadia City Council has taken a step toward
banning smoking at city parks and recreation areas, excluding the Par
3 Golf Course. 4
letters: Council huffed and it puffed and swallowed the second-hand
smoke; . . . I recently attended a study session on Tobacco Retail Licensing and
Smoke Free Parks and Trail ordinance in Gilroy. Present were residents,
health care professionals, Breathe California, high school students
and merchants. All but the merchants shared how dangerous second-hand
smoke is . . . Mountain
View receives blowback from tougher smoking rules Tougher smoking laws may be on their way to Mountain View, but at least
one cigar aficionado says there's less support for the new restrictions
than city officials have reason to believe. Jim Neal, who has called
the city home for six years, says he has collected signatures from more
than 1000 smokers and nonsmokers who are against expanding ... … Hotels and motels are not affected by the smoking ban. It is
the city's first law banning smoking inside dwelling units. Bans have
previously been approved ... Devil's
Advocate: The smoking ban is justifiable By inhaling smoke involuntarily, non-smokers are prone to take in what
is known as “sidestream smoke,” which is the smoke that smolders
off the end of the ... Let me start off by saying that I don't smoke and just like most nonsmokers,
I don't appreciate cigarette smoke being blown in my general vicinity.
… By Stephen McGlade After coming to a unanimous vote to make Cal State
Fullerton a smoke-free campus starting August 2013, the Academic Senate
will also ... Research conducted by the forum showed that 443000 people die from
tobacco related illnesses including 50000 nonsmokers who developed chronic
lung problems. … Editorial:
Smoking ban will be the new skateboarding ban 23 to ban all smoking on Cal State Fullerton's campus. According to the current policy, smoking is prohibited inside as well as within 20 feet of any ... County
Housing Authority Proposes To Ban Smoking In All Its Properties The agency is proposing to imposing a smoking ban on its nearly 2000
housing units. "We're concerned about health risks to our tenants
as well as additional ... By Kit Bobko A little bit of our liberty went up in smoke on March
1. What happened? The Hermosa Beach City Council enacted a comprehensive
ban on smoking ... With the recently passed mandate requiring that all University of California
facilities be smoke free by 2014, it is evident that there is a national
trend ... Smoking
in Your Apartment? Think Again A new smoking law that went into effect Feb. 23 could land you a fine of up to ... The ban also applies to balconies, porches, decks and patios connected to ... Council
Won't Pursue Tobacco Retail License Ordinance The second ordinance would have completely banned smoking and the use of tobacco ... designated spots for smoking, but that it doesn't want to ban smoking ... Chico
City Council to discuss restrictions on plastic bags, smoking Smoking
ban debate continues The debate over banning smoking at condo and apartment complexes continues.
Mike Slater is talking about the hot topic on talk radio 760. … Smoking in apartments and condos in the city of San Diego could be
banned if a proposed ordinance becomes official. The proposal, which
was recently ... A smoking ban is now the law of the land. Kim Baldonado has reaction
from the beach. ... It even bans restaurants from giving out matchbooks. Huntington
Park bans smoking inside apartment units HUNTINGTON PARK Smoking in public areas of apartment and condominium
complexes will be banned as of July 1, smoking inside new units will
be prohibited as ... PROPOSAL
WOULD BAN SMOKING IN CONDOS, RENTALS The proposal, which was recently reviewed in a City Council committee, would give nonsmoking tenants the power to make their living environments smoke-free. … No
ban on outdoor smoking … The city’s apparent refusal to look into the matter may
seem like a setback for non-smokers, but not according to Liz Williams
from Americans for Non-Smokers Rights, a Berkeley based national non-profit.
“They may not necessarily be ready to take action based on input
from one individual, but if that one individual sparks community conversation,
the council may end up hearing from multiple people in the community
and realize there is broad base of support in the community,” Williams
said. “That’s when they are more willing to take something
on.” … And four months after approving a ban on smoking in public gathering
areas ... the Hermosa Beach smoking law all but bans lighting up in
places where the ... Resident
of California town wants to make it illegal to smoke in ... James Baker has asked the Rocklin City Council to ban outdoor smoking,
even making it illegal for residents to smoke while they are outside
their homes but ... I think we all can agree -- smokers included -- that smoking is bad
for one's health. We know the risks, and after years of cover up and/or
denial, ... Hermosa Beach mayor Howard Fishman holds up smoke-free poster showing
banned areas to be distributed to local business owners for display.
… By Jonathan Kendrick Hermosa Beach city leaders introduced the Healthy
Air Hermonsa public education campaign Monday, pushing a smoke-free
ordinance that ... Tribal
casinos in California: the last vestige of indoor smoking Background High levels of airborne particles from secondhand smoke have been reported in California Indian casinos. Yet, little is known regarding the smoking status of casino patrons, their avoidance of secondhand smoke while visiting, and their views on a hypothetical smoking ban. . . . Results Ethnic minorities, older individuals, current smokers and residents of sparsely populated regions of California were more likely than other demographic groups to visit a tribal casino. Avoidance of secondhand smoke was more frequent among the never smokers than former and current smokers, particularly those who last visited a casino lacking physical separation between non-smoking and smoking sections. The never smokers versus current smokers disproportionately expressed a willingness to extend their stay and visit again if smoking were prohibited. Conclusions If casinos became smoke free, then it is anticipated that they would be visited by a significantly larger number of Californians, including both patrons and those who otherwise would not have visited a casino. California
town wants to ban smoking on private property Academic
Senate unanimously votes smoke-free campus Rocklin:
California town to ban smoking ANYWHERE outside, even in your backyard
Should
the city adopt a secondhand smoke ordinance? Puffing
In Public Could Put a Strain on Your Wallet: New smoking ordinance wafting
forward Morgan Hill, CA -- … No smoking at outdoor public recreation areas,
service areas such as ATM lines ... a public survey indicated support
for a new "secondhand smoke" ordinance. … More than 1,000 multi-family rental housing units in Calabasas are
smoke free, a figure thats well above a goal city officials set four
years ago. ... Californians have been living with smoking bans within 20 feet of government
buildings, schools and playgrounds, and even bars and restaurants. Smoking
ban drifts forward ATTENTION: Smokers
Not Going Out Without a Fight A petition with a total of 1,083 signatures has made its way to the
Mountain View City Clerk's office, two weeks after the first of two
required City Council votes to increase smoking restrictions around
the city. ... Proposed
Ordinance May Ban Smoking in Housing Complexes A City Council committee will receive a proposed ordinance this week
to ban smoking in housing complexes if the smoker is asked to stop by
another resident, ... Ordinance
Would Ban Smoking in Housing Complex if Another Resident Complains Top items on this week's public meeting agendas include an expansion
of Newport Beach's smoking ban and the elimination of a neighborhood
park from the ... By KATY SWEENY - Staff Writer The Chico Internal Affairs Committee
will again consider a smoking ban after having input from businesses,
... The Golden State was first to ban smoking in workplaces, ... teens
are banned from using tanning booths and the sale of caffeinated beer
is forbidden. Divided
council approves outdoor smoking ban The 3-2 vote ends months of discussion and changes to the ordinance
that prohibits smoking within 20 feet of primary business entryways
and bans it near ... UCSF
study: Boosting cigarette tax could bolster California economy by $2
billion California
Assembly votes to outlaw smoking on hospital campuses Many hospitals, they said, have already voluntarily banned smoking.
... "You want to ban smoking outside," he said. "The
last thing California needs is ... The Assembly voted 45-23 to pass a bill (AB 1278), by Assembly member
Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), that would ban smoking on hospital campuses,
the Los Angeles ... Group
seeks to change Palo Alto smoking ordinance by Sue Dremann On the heels of a toughened smoking ordinance adopted
in Mountain View ... A new ordinance could prohibit smoking in all public
areas, ... Council
OKs New Clubhouse, Delays Vote on Smoking Ban and Fire ... Newport Beach -- … The City Council voted to continue deciding
on a proposed ordinance that would forbid smoking in all city parks.
If approved, the law would ban smoking ... District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, the committee's chair, voted to oppose
the measure although he does believe smoking should be banned in the
plazas. Mountain
View City Council expands smoking ordinance Following a heated debate Tuesday night, the city council voted 4-3 to expand the city's smoking ordinance to include outdoor dining room areas and establish a 25-foot "buffer zone" for secondhand smoke. Vice Mayor John Inks, along with council members Laura Macias and Tom Means, opposed the move. ... Secondhand
smoke survey online until Jan. 31 …Based on the input received from the public, this ordinance may possibly prohibit smoking in outdoor restaurant areas, at community events and festivals, ... Santa
Ana Council Prohibits Smoking in City Parks Dublin
council favors tough curbs on tobacco sales Saying it wants to protect children from cigarette products, the council directed its staff to come up with proposed restrictions that would ban tobacco ... New
El Monte ordinance forces tobacco retailers to pay $300 for ... The funds will be used for programs to stop underage smoking. ... Baldwin
Park, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and other cities have drafted similar ordinances.
... A
smoke-free UC goes too far Smoking bans are justified in all sorts of places - inside buildings and even ... of banning sales of cigarettes as well as tobacco company ads on campus, ... San
Pasqual Tribe Sets New Gaming Lending Standard The San Diego County Tribe closed today on a refinancing of its $215
million ... well as a complete non-smoking casino in addition to the
main casino floor. ... Health
tip: Anderson goes smoke-free The ordinance prohibits smoking at outdoor locations where children
and residents are most likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke. ... Outdoor
smoking ban headed to a final vote New
Camarillo park policy not a tail-wagger for some Smoking
Ban in Weho Takes Effect Jan. 1 Come Jan. 1, 2012, smoking in outdoor dining areas and other public spaces will be prohibited in West Hollywood. ... Alameda
Smoking Ordinance Takes Effect Jan. 2 State
Smoking Restrictions for Renters Tighten in the New Year Tenants who smoke in Santa Monica and Los Angeles will not have the same protection against eviction as smokers in West Hollywood when a state Senate-approved bill takes effect Jan. 1, 2012. ... County
of Marin set to launch anti-smoking regulations A multifaceted attack on tobacco was launched Tuesday as Marin County supervisors swiftly endorsed ordinances outlawing smoking in unincorporated area apartments and requiring retail vendors to get a special county license and pay a fee. Mountain
View may ban smoking within 25 feet of restaurants, bars ... He and other smokers worry about proposed legislation to ban smoking near ... Already, the city bans smoking inside public buildings and within 30 feet of ... Smoking
ban to begin in Union City apartments The ban takes effect Feb. 23. Under the new ordinance, landlords are
required to update leases and install signage to restrict smoking. ... Sonoma
County moves closer to smokeless Marin
supervisors to consider tough anti-smoking ordinance Vista
tells hookah lounges to stay out The Human Response Network Tobacco Education Program would like to
commend the Highland Art Center for voting to make their meadow where
events are held a smoke-free area. Secondhand smoke can be dangerous
for adults, children and even pets. ... Smoking
Banned in New Hotels, Not New Residences In June 2010, the council banned smoking in common areas and patios
of multi-unit residences. Four years earlier, it placed a ban on the
Third Street ... County
has six vacancies on tobacco board WeHo
smokers can breathe easy City
mulls restrictions for Castro plazas Council
tables smoking ban, again Smokers complained about the impacts on their rights Monday as Orland
struggles with adoption of a smoking ban in outdoor areas within the
city. Council
bans smoking at Civic Center Plaza Oceanside
to ban smoking at Civic Center The Oceanside City Council on Wednesday decided to take steps to ban
smoking at the Civic Center Complex, which includes the Civic Center
Library, City Hall and a colorful sprawling fountain. ... Roseville
group aims for smoke-free apartments A local group called Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke, or KIISS, is on a mission to encourage apartment owners in Roseville to offer smoke-free buildings. ... Orland
moves toward new smoking rules Orland got a few steps closer to tightening rules on smoking in town, further refining ideas presented last month by Orland students working with health organizations. ... City
smoking ban may extend to outdoor dining Anti-smoking
law gets final approval He also said smoking is already banned near playgrounds, but that people smoke near ... They pointed out that other cities had already enacted similar bans. ... Orland
going virtually smokeless in public areas Indeed, Interim police Chief JC Tolle said passage of the smoking ban
could increase ... If you go down the line, smoking is banned in federal
buildings, ... Smoking
likely banned in certain areas Orland is working on a new smoking ban in its parks and outside business doorways and restaurants, but there are some ... Council
rejects 24-hour smoking ban in home daycares The idea for the ordinance came from the San Benito County Tobacco
Education Coalition, which suggested a voluntary ban on smoking for
home daycares. ... City
Council to decide on outdoor smoking restrictions Evictions
over smoking specious In his WeHo News article “ Where there’s smoke, there’s Heilman/Land (11/3/11),” Martin incorrectly states that a recently passed state law, SB 332 (Padilla) will allow landlords to evict West Hollywood tenants who are smokers. Martin, no doubt, has his head up a cigarette butt on this one … Alameda's
Smoking Rules Revisited: City Council to Vote on Revised Ordinance Marin
officials to consider smoking crackdown in condos, apartments Duran
Sponsors Bill Protecting Smokers From Threat of Eviction Smoking
Ban Before Council Fresh
Air Dining LB; New LB Health Department Program to Provide ... Reader
Poll: How Do You Feel About the Apartment Anti-Smoking Bill? Apartment
smoking ban: Evictions possible? Long
Beach fresh air dining: 30 restaurants ban smoking on patios Alameda
looks to crack down on second-hand smoke Smokers may find fewer places to light up as city of Alameda officials look for ways to protect people from second-hand smoke. But some are saying the proposed ordinance goes too far and are hoping the effort will be snuffed out. ... Among the changes the council suggested was including provisions that declare secondhand smoke a nuisance and to remove e-cigarettes from the definition of smoking. ...
Sausalito
will consider tighter smoking rules In
Sebastopol, no smoking rules don't apply to medical marijuana Compton
approves strict ban on smoking City
Council vote paves way for smoking ban COSTA MESA - Smoking will be banned at 25 of the 29 city parks, ...
At the request of Councilman Steve Mensinger, the ban wouldn't prohibit
... Costa
Mesa considers banning smoking at city parks Nearly
one million California children still at risk of secondhand smoke exposure
[corrected data on number exposed] Despite having the second-lowest smoking rate in the nation, California is still home to nearly one million children under the age of 12 who are exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Hermosa
Beach passes restrictive ban on smoking in public places Proposal
to ban smoking at parks moves forward; Guerra issues ... In
split vote, council agrees to explore smoking ban DOWNEY – In front of more than 125 peoplee, including nearly 80 teenagers, the council voted 3-2 late Tuesday to have the city craft a policy to ban smoking ... TONIGHT:
Smoking ban on Hermosa Beach agenda Mayor
wants to ban smoking at Downey parks, but questions remain City
May Consider Ban On Smoking Outside Apartments SoCo
Adopts Second Part Of Smoking Ban As expected, Sonoma County supervisors have adopted the second phase of a measure that bans smoking in public places under the county's jurisdiction. ... Snuffing
out smoke at day cares Jewett is a supporter of a city ordinance proposed by the San Benito County Public Health Department that would ban smoking from licensed home day cares in Hollister 24 hours a day. ... Public
Smoking Ban Moves Forward The Hermosa Beach City Council has decided to move forward with drafting an ordinance that would ban smoking in most public spaces, including Pier Plaza, public parking lots, the Strand, Greenbelt and other city parks. Concord
Approves Smoking Ban in a 17-Block Area Around Todos Santos Plaza A huge group of Claycordians attended the Concord City Council meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the proposed smoking ban within a 17-block area around Todos Santos Plaza. Council
to Revisit Outdoor Dining Council members have discussed briefly a possible ban on smoking in
outdoor dining areas, and will consider scheduling a public hearing
for next month to … Concord
considers smoking ban downtown On weekend nights, Vinnie's Bar and Grill can host a crowd of 300, with 20 to 30 smoking on the sidewalk out front. Now a proposed smoking ban in Downtown ... Concord
City Council to vote on banning smoking downtown The City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to ban smoking in a 17-block
area around Todos Santos Plaza. The ban would affect sidewalks ... How
California's new non-smoking law will affect renters City
council's not blowing smoke--members vote 4-1 to restrict ... Council
passes smoking, marijuana dispensary bans Campbell
aims to reduce secondhand smoke with new ordinance ...20, the council approved an ordinance that prohibits smoking within
outdoor dining areas and public recreational facilities. The city council
also directed … Sonoma
County supports smoking ban in condos ... supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution for the
smoking ban. ... smoking in new units and first-time rentals begins
in eight months. … California
County May Ban Smoking Inside Your Own Home But it won't be a smoke-filled castle -- at least not in one Northern
California county. Sonoma County supervisors have unanimously approved
a smoking ban ... Council
continues smoking ban discussion An ordinance to prohibit smoking in Danville's recreational areas was
discussed again at Tuesday's Town Council meeting. Despite some debate
about smoker's rights, the council voted unanimously to continue the
discussion on Sept. 20. ... Smoking
in apartments can be restricted under new state law Smoking
in apartments can be restricted under new state law Landlords in California will have clear authority to ban smoking in apartment buildings under a measure signed Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown. Sen. … Council
Votes to Limit Outdoor Smoking Fewer
Californians smoking cigarettes, but hookah use on the rise Cigarette smoking in California has fallen sharply in recent years,
but new research finds that hookah use is on the rise, especially among
young adults. ... Expanded
smoking ban at parks being considered County
takes aim at smokers No
smoking in downtown Laguna alley San
Clemente latest OC city banning smoking in parks Los
Gatos shorts: Town receives a 'D' on tobacco report card Legislature
approves ban on rental-unit smoking Landlords will be able to ban smoking on their properties, including
inside rental units, if Gov. Jerry Brown signs a bill sent to him by
the state Senate. ... No
Butts About It: Sonoma County Seeks Ban on Outdoor Smoking Vallejo
officials asked to snuff out smoking in parks Vasquez
wants to consider banning smoking in public Smoking
rate reaches historic low in California Manhattan
Beach bans smoking on The Strand Manhattan Beach city council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve
an ordinance to ban smoking on The Strand and along Veterans Parkway/Greenbelt
in Manhattan Beach. The ban will go into effect on October 10, said
Christi Hogin, interim city attorney. ... New
Poll Shows California Voters Want More Regulation of Tobacco "A tobacco retailer licensing ordinance can be effective at reducing
tobacco sales to youth, but there is even more we can do," said
Paul Simon, MD, MPH, ... California
Dems pained to find names on tobacco list Sen. Leland Yee is running for mayor in San Francisco, and the last
thing he needs is to be labeled as the Big Tobacco candidate. ... Tobacco's
influence runs deep in Calif. Study:
Tobacco lobby spent big in California during election Council
Delays Decision on Park Smoking Ban, Beach Commercial Activities Limits
Show's
over for San Francisco hookah lounges California's
adult smoking rate at a record low California's numbers are down, but this time it's a good thing. The state's adult smoking rate is at a record low, with just 11.9 percent of adults lighting up. ... Adult
smoking rates drag to new low Los
Altos considers smoking ban in parks Photo Courtesy Of Roger Summitt Parkgoers could see fewer cigarette butts on public park grounds if the city council bans smoking. Los Altos resident Rory Van Tuyl's reports of cigarette butts and other litter in Redwood Grove sparked the Los Altos ... Hookah
lounges: S.F. health officials seek closure Public health department officials are threatening to shut down hookah
lounges, whose owners, they say, have refused to obey state and local
laws that ban indoor smoking, despite mailed and in-person warnings
over the past year. ... Newport
council postpones smoking ban vote NEWPORT BEACH – The City Council refused to ban smoking in parks because of ambiguous wording on an unrelated part of the proposal. If approved, the ordinance would have prohibited paid instructional ... Bill
Approved Granting Landlords Authority Over Your Smoking Habits Escanaba
City Council approves smoking ordinance Tiburon
becomes first town in Marin to ban all smoking in large apartment ...
Tiburon
council to weigh tighter smoking rules Tiburon could become Marin's first municipality to ban smoking in all
large apartment complexes Wednesday when the Town Council considers
a new ordinance. ... WeHo
hikes parking, other fees Vallejo
group seeks smoke-free parks "Only Vacaville has a smoke-free parks policy (in Solano County).
We're looking to be second," said Jason Goltiao, youth development
and policy coordinator of Fighting Back Partnership. ... Hermosa
Beach smoking bans pushed Smoking
Ban May Expand to Multi-Unit Residences, Hotels City
Council reviews tobacco ordinance City
Plans to Snuff Out Smoking in 75 Percent of Apartment Units It's going to be more difficult for locals to smoke in their apartments
thanks to a City Council decision Tuesday to make its anti-smoking ordinance
more strict. The council approved a proposal to increase the required
percentage of the city's ... Live
Oak smoking ban in parks moves ahead A proposed ban in Live Oak on smoking in parks and within 50 feet of
the entrance to public buildings won support from eight speakers, including
four high school students. ... Carson
moves toward more restrictive smoking regulations San
Clemente panel to weigh smoking ban in parks Palo
Alto Considers Licenses for Tobacco Retailers Letter:
Smoke-free air is only fair Smokefree
workplace legislation approved by California Senate Measure
curbing exemptions to smoke-free law advances City
Looks to Snuff Smoking in Downtown Areas Apartment
Anti-Smoking Bill Raises Concerns for Weho Renters A California bill passed by the state Senate last week regarding smoking in apartments could have a major impact in West Hollywood by giving landlords ammunition to evict smokers. ... SoCal
News Briefs: Carpinteria Smoking Ban, Momyer Fire Update ... Calif.
bill lets landlords ban smoking in units The state Senate has approved a bill that would let landlords ban smoking
on their properties, including inside rental units. ... Outdoor
Smoking Ban Doesn't Change Much for Local Diners Back in January 2010, the Los Angeles City Council, in a unanimous
12-0 vote, amended Municipal Code 41.50 sections A and B to ban smoking
on restaurant patios and in outside areas of other businesses that serve
food. . . . ... San
Clemente weighs smoking ban in parks BLOCK
BILL WOULD ALLOW COLLEGES TO ENFORCE SMOKING BANS, LEVY FINES ON SMOKERS
Grover
Beach to consider extended smoking ban Fairfax
Passes Stricter Smoking Regulations Cupertino
City Council votes to put a stop to smoking in recreational areas
Palm
Springs Considers Banning Smoking in Some Public Places At its bi-monthly meeting tonight, the council will hear a second reading
of an ordinance that bans smoking within 25 feet of areas where children
are … Burbank
expands public smoking ordinance (KABC) -- Burbank is enforcing a new city ordinance to restrict smoking
in public areas of apartment buildings and condos. The ordinance, which
was adopted in 2007, banned smoking in most common areas of multi-family
residential buildings. … Alameda
County Board of Supervisors Approves Smoking Ban County
campaigns against secondhand smoke An estimated 4,000 people each year in California die from secondhand smoke, according to Santa Clara County Department of Public Health officials, who kicked off an ad campaign Tuesday to warn people about the dangers of secondhand smoke. ... DeSaulnier:
Workplace smoking legislation advances in Senate Committee Inside
City Hall: Council seeks cap on existing smoking lounges Smoking
Ban Gets Support From Councilmembers Bill
Would Expand State's Smoking Ban At Work State Sen. Mark DeSaulnier said other states have since surpassed California
and enacted more expansive crackdowns on smoking in the workplace. ... California lawmakers are looking to expand the state's workplace smoking ban, adding hotel lobbies, break rooms and even tobacco stores to the list of places where you can't light up. . . . ... Alameda
City Council Considers Tightening Limits on Smoking Most other cities in Alameda County fall between an A and a D, with
Piedmont the only other F. Acting City Manager Lisa Goldman and staff
presented council with suggestions for improving policies in four key
areas: protections for indoor or enclosed ... Palm
Springs council tightens policy on smoking in public The Palm Springs City Council Wednesday took steps to strengthen one law and clarify another -- each addresses the city's efforts to encourage residents to enjoy a healthy, environmentally beneficial lifestyle. ... Larkspur
Takes Up Tobacco Issue Pasadena
City Council forwards smoking ban In a decision applauded by most of the residents in attendance, the
Pasadena City Council called for the drafting of a smoking ordinance
that would ban apartment dwellers from lighting up. ... Smoking
in Public to Get Tougher in Murrieta Those who want to smoke in public areas could face tighter restrictions
under an amendment to Murrieta's smoking pollution code. ... Island
Talkback: Make Alameda smoke free Pasadena
Chamber opposes smoking ban Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is asking city officials to butt out of
the private homes of smokers. ... Conversation
Begins On Smoking Bans in Campbell 'Pack-a-day'
smokers fewer in California; lung cancer rates lower too California has been kicking its smoking habit far more successfully
than the rest of America - and it may be due to more than four decades
of antismoking state policies. ... Smoking
banned on home patios in Laguna Woods L.A.
Smokers Beware: Starting March 8, You Could Pay Up to $500 for Smoking
Near a Restaurant or Food Truck The L.A. City Council may have passed the outdoor smoking ban over
a year ago, but it's just now going into effect. Last March, all Los
Angeles restaurants that allowed smoking on their patios were given
a one-year grace period to phase out your nasty habits -- but all that
grace is going in the ashtray this coming Tuesday. ... Los Angeles is gearing up to become the nation's largest city with
smoke-free outdoor dining. ... Starting next week, L.A. diners will be spared that curious aroma of
cigarette smoke accenting tangy barbecue sauce, wafting from outdoor
eateries. ... SFO
bans solicitors at airport, cuts down on smoking sites SFO has moved to ban solicitation and also made it more difficult for smokers to light up at the airport. Separate proposals to outlaw solicitation and ban smoking at outdoor
sections of the hub were passed unanimously Tuesday by the San Francisco
Airport Commission. ... Concord
Senator Mark DeSaulnier introduces smoke-free workplace bill Senate Bill 575, which was introduced by Senator Mark DeSaulnier, would close loopholes in a California Law that exposes workers to second hand smoke. The following information is from Senator DeSaulnier's Office: While once the leader in protecting workers from the toxic effects of secondhand smoke, California has fallen far behind. This is due to the exemptions and loopholes in California's Smoke-Free Workplace law. Because of these loopholes thousands of California workers and patrons of certain businesses continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke. To protect those workers and patrons, Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) today introduced SB 575 to eliminate loopholes in the state's Smoke-Free Workplace law. "California workers should not be exposed to secondhand smoke and the health risks associated with it," said DeSaulnier. "They go to work to earn an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, not to breathe in carcinogens. It is time to bring California's once-groundbreaking Smoke-Free Workplace law into the 21st Century." "Californians are rightfully proud of the fact that we led the
effort to make workplaces smoke-free so they are surprised to learn
that the states that followed in our footsteps have now lapped us in
providing stronger protections for workers," said Alecia Sanchez,
Director of State Legislative Advocacy, American Cancer Society, California
Division. "Twenty-four states have received the 100% smoke-free
designation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sadly,
California is not among them. This bill will correct that...." Dublin
moves to toughen its smoking ordinance; brings back farmers market DUBLIN -- Smoking is going to get a lot tougher for apartment residents. The Dublin City Council has asked its staff to strengthen the city's smoking rules for apartment complexes with 16 or more units. After hearing an encouraging report Tuesday on the results of a 2008 city ordinance requiring those complexes to designate 50 percent of their units smoke-free by Jan. 1 of this year, the council told its staff to amend the ordinance to require a 75 percent ban by 2013. In the report, the city surveyed all 17 apartment complexes that fit the requirement and found that of the 4,146 units, 2,879, or 69 percent, are now designated smoke-free ... Committee
preparing to discuss smoking on patios Residential
patio smoking ban first in OC Torrance
officially bans smoking in public parks Laguna
Woods smoking ban back for approval Wednesday Dublin
will vote Tuesday on toughening its apartment smoking ban DUBLIN -- Smoking in apartments could become more difficult for residents if city officials decide to toughen up current smoking ordinances. The City Council is expected to review a report at 7 p.m. Tuesday on
the city's current law, passed in 2008, that requires apartment complexes
with 16 units or more to designate 50 percent of their units as nonsmoking
by January 2011. The council is expected to decide whether to vote to
ban smoking in 70 percent of apartment complexes of that size by 2013
... Lodi
City Council to consider drafting ordinance that limits smoking in public
The Lodi City Council will discuss whether it wants to draft an ordinance limiting where people can smoke in public at its meeting this morning. The issue surfaced after a local businessman asked Mayor Bob Johnson whether there were any rules preventing people from smoking in front of private businesses. Some tenants in the man’s office complex complained about people
who frequently smoked outside, Johnson said ... City
of West Hollywood votes in favor of smoking ban At Monday night’s meeting, the West Hollywood City Council voted 3-2 to outlaw outdoor smoking in public areas of the city. The law goes into effect in January 2012. Since late 2009, the City Council has been working with local proprietors in order to provide cleaner air for residents and visitors through this outdoor smoking ban. ... West
Hollywood Considering Outdoor Smoking Ban La
Palma's main park goes smoke-free Does
Smoking Ban Extend to Hookah Bars? The Law Is Hazy Carp
Expands Smoking Ban City
to Bring Businesses into Smoking Ban Debate After a heated discussion about cigarette smoke and big government, the City Council decided in a tough 4-1 vote Tuesday night to continue exploring a possible ban on smoking in Hermosa's outdoor dining areas. Councilmen Howard Fishman and Jeff Duclos plan to share the idea of
a prohibition with local business owners in a town hall-style meeting
in coming weeks ... City
Pauses to Consider Anti-Smoking Legislation Remember when it was perfectly acceptable to smoke in bars, restaurants and even the workplace? When California passed bans against such activities in the mid-1990s, tobacco fans recoiled in anger and threatened that it would never work. Fast-forward to today and nobody thinks twice about it. Smoking laws have even evolved to where lighting up is banned on state beaches and many parks. But despite the great health strides that have been made in the battle against tobacco, there is still a lot more work to be done, according to state and county health officials and the American Lung Association (ALA). Perhaps that’s why Mill Valley last week received an “F”
from the ALA for its tobacco control policies for the second straight
year. The city hasn’t upgraded its smoking ordinance since 1992,
and many other municipalities have since gone beyond smoking bans by
focusing on secondhand smoke ... Smoking
in the park snuffed out LA PALMA – Central Park in La Palma will be smoke and tobacco-free starting Feb. 1, despite a smoldering debate and close vote at Tuesday night's City Council meeting. Three of the council's five members voted against establishing a small
designated smoking area in the park, which would have been between the
recreation buildings and the basketball courts. The failed vote allows
a full ban to go into effect in two weeks ... Laguna
Woods prohibits smoking on open patios, balconies Smoking on open patios and balconies will be prohibited for the 18,500 apartment and condominium residents in Laguna Woods following initial approval of an amendment to the city's smoking ordinance. The council on Wednesday also was considering an amendment that would
have required residents in multifamily facilities to smoke in their
homes with the windows and doors "completely closed." Council members asked city staff to analyze the restriction and return with more information in one year. The amendment that passed prohibiting smoking on open patios and balconies must have a second reading in February before it is given final approval. ... Ordinance
would keep smokers, their smoke indoors LAGUNA WOODS – Apartment and condominium residents here would be prohibited from smoking on open patios and balconies and, when smoking inside their homes, would be required to keep all windows and doors "completely closed," according to an ordinance being considered Wednesday by the City Council. In 2004, the city adopted an ordinance prohibiting smoking in enclosed and unenclosed public areas. The ordinance was amended in 2006 to prohibit smoking in shared carports and entryways in multi-family residential buildings. ... Proposal
would ban smoking at all Danville outdoor facilities DANVILLE -- The Danville Parks and Leisure Services Commission has made a recommendation that would extend a smoking ban to all the town's outdoor facilities. The commission voted 8-0 Wednesday to recommend the ban. The Town Council will have the final say when it comes before members in the spring, said Michelle Lacy, recreation services manager. Lacy said the recommendation is to ban smoking at all recreation areas
owned or maintained by the town. That would mean all outdoor facilities,
such as sports fields, parks and trails where smoking is not banned.
Currently smoking is banned in outdoor areas including near tot lots
and building doors and windows. Smoking inside facilities is also banned.
... New
Eureka council to consider hiring new finance director, adopting Measure
O PG
limits public smoking A city law tightening regulations for smoking in public places passed unanimously at its second reading Wednesday before the Pacific Grove City Council. The ordinance stops short of banning smoking in outdoor dining areas
or sidewalk tables, and allows smoking on the municipal golf course.
It bans lighting up in city parks, beaches and recreation areas. ... L.A.
City Council Candidate Rudy Martinez Fought Anti-Smoking Bans In California
Yet another item on which reality-TV star and District 14 hopeful Rudy Martinez and the current L.A. City Council can disagree: smoking in public spaces. Over at the City Maven, political watchdogs are jumping all over Martinez' dark history as a customer-pleasing restaurant honcho who wanted his diners to be able to light one up when they gosh-darn felt like it. It appears Martinez served as spokesman/board member for the National Smokers Alliance, a '90s org (when else could such a thing have existed but the '90s) dedicated to fighting any and everything anti-smoke -- on the dime of big-money tobacco. Namely, Philip Morris USA. Yikes. Not a great skeleton of a bedfellow for a fledgling politician. Though they're treating it as a scandal, this comes as no surprise. We can totally see Martinez with heels kicked up at his Marty's joint in Highland Park, suckin' back the fog of a vintage Cuban. He doesn't exactly look like the kind of guy who deprives himself of life's sweet sins -- even at the cost of second-handing all over the lungs of nearby children. One of the key state measures Martinez pushed during that time was
Proposition 188, which would have bulldozed all local anti-smoking ordinances
and instated a standard (read: lax) set of rules on business owners.
His face was plastered all over the 'Yes' campaign. The
Maven even pinned down one of the fliers ... Union
City approves smoking ban UNION CITY -- Smokers must refrain from lighting up at public events and in outdoor restaurant and bar spaces starting next month. The new law, which also will beef up penalties for selling tobacco to minors and ultimately ban smoking in all apartments, takes effect Dec. 23. The City Council unanimously approved the anti-smoking ordinances last week. The apartment ban, which will take effect in February 2012 to give
landlords time to comply, will affect all rental dwellings of two or
more units, including market-rate apartments, affordable apartments,
senior facilities and duplexes on one lot. It does not apply to single-family
homes, mobile home parks, condominiums with units owned individually,
or duplexes on two lots ... Claremont
mulls more rules on smoking CLAREMONT - Mayor Linda Elderkin wants the City Council to consider prohibiting smoking in public plaza areas at tonight's meeting. Current city laws prohibit smoking in city parks and state law bans smoking on playgrounds, but Elderkin wants to add open areas such as the vicinity of Laemmle's Claremont 5 theater. The public plaza is defined as an "area designed as a gathering place for the public and designated by the City of Claremont as a public plaza and which is owned, managed or controlled by the City," according to a staff report. Elderkin said people will still be able to smoke at establishments such as Casa Moreno Mexican Grill, at 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd., and other locations in the plaza area. ... Smoking
Ban In Pacific Grove Ready For Final Vote PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. - Soon, you could possibly see no smoking signs all over Pacific Grove. Wednesday night, the city council approved plans to stop you from lighting up at waterfronts, parks, recreational areas, and buildings surrounding the city's municipal golf links. "I don't think people should be smoking in playgrounds or recreational areas. Those areas are made for a purpose especially with children around," said Councilmember Alan Cohen. Council members said they also hope to preserve beach fronts. People we spoke with at Lovers Point Beach said they like the idea. "I've told people to throw their cigarette butts away, on my walks.
I mean there's a Gary McDowell is a former smoker who hopes other cities on the peninsula consider the ban ... West
Hollywood Councilman Fires Barbs at Calabasas Mayor Over Smoking Ban
What was intended to be a few words of encouragement by Mayor Barry Groveman to the West Hollywood City Council on Monday on passing an ordinance banning smoking in outdoor dining areas turned into an exchange of pointed comments between Groveman and West Hollywood Councilman John Duran. Groveman began his three-minute speech by telling council members, "I am not an advocate of telling people what to do. We don't ban cigarette smoking in Calabasas; what we do is we regulate second-hand smoke exposure." He added that Calabasas' smoking ordinance, passed in 2006, restricts smoking within city borders to designated outdoor-smoking areas or private homes ... Eureka
moves forward on public safety funding; direction given to city staff
... ...The council also introduced an ordinance that will amend the smoking
ordinance that went into effect Sept. 3. The smoking ordinance didn't
get much public attention until after it passed. Businesses were then
informed of the changes that prohibited smoking in a variety of places
such as outdoor areas of bars, and of the requirement that 75 percent
of hotel rooms be smoke-free. At the request of council, Tyson presented
a modified ordinance that would decrease the required amount of nonsmoking
rooms at hotels and motels to 50 percent and would allow smoking at
bars that have a smoking area that complies with state law. ... Eureka
council to look at public safety funding, smoking ordinance ...Changes to the city's smoking ordinance are also up for introduction.
The ordinance passed in July prohibited smoking in a number of places,
including bars and public events. It also required hotels and motels
to have 75 percent of rooms designated as nonsmoking. After the ordinance
went into effect, The proposed changes would decrease the required amount of nonsmoking rooms at hotels and motels to 50 percent and would allow smoking at bars that have a smoking area that complies with state law. ... Smoking
ban ordinance in public areas to be drafted by L.A. Council The Los Angeles City Council unanimously directed its attorneys today to prepare an ordinance that would ban smoking in "all public areas and common areas where people congregate.' . . . In Parks' motion -- approved 13-0 today -- the councilman called for a comprehensive and citywide ordinance that would ban smoking in "all public areas and common areas where people congregate, including, but not limited to, indoor and outdoor businesses, hotels, parks, apartment common areas, restaurants and bars, and beaches.' Parks added, "We need to implement legislation to regulate cigarette
smoking by limiting it to specific places where there is no expectation
of involuntary contact with people -- wherever people congregate or
there is an expectation of people being present, (then) smoking should
be prohibited.' Santa
Clara gives final approval to smoking ban SAN JOSE, Calif.—Santa Clara County has approved among the San Francisco Bay area's most sweeping smoking bans. County supervisors on Tuesday gave final approval to laws that would ban smoking inside apartments, condominiums and townhouses and in outdoor eating areas of restaurants. The ban would also apply to common areas of multiunit residences, hotels and motels and within 30 feet of any outdoor service area, such as a ticket line. The new rules would only affect unincorporated parts of the county. The San Jose Mercury News reports that the ban on smoking in apartments,
condos and townhouses will take effect in 14 months. The other rules
go into effect in 30 days. ... Local
Beach Community Could Ban Smoking The City of Carpinteria is one step closer to completely banning smoking within the city. The city council voted unanimously to have a total ban law written
up. A complete ban would prohibit smoking in any public or private place
that is open to the general public ... Wildomar
City Council to discuss, vote on tougher smoking rules Wednesday
Lighting up a cigarette or cigar might get a little more difficult in Wildomar. On Wednesday night, the City Council will vote on whether to enact stricter laws in the face of a pending report card from the American Lung Association, according to the council’s agenda. The American Lung Association informed the city it plans to include the new city in its annual report card. The association ranks based on three criteria: smoke-free outdoor areas, smoke-free housing and reducing tobacco product sales. City staff is asking council members if new laws should be enacted
to further limit smoking within city boundaries. City officials stated
in the council agenda that there would be no monetary impact but it
is a public health issue ... Smoking
ban gets approval STOCKTON - Housing officials Thursday accepted a new policy that would ban smoking in public housing in San Joaquin County. Residents of the roughly 1,000 units managed by the San Joaquin Housing Authority won't have to stamp out their cigarettes yet; the policy still needs to go to federal officials for final approval before new leases will go into effect. And even then, residents who smoke will have a year to kick the habit, find somewhere else to smoke or look elsewhere. Last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development encouraged public housing agencies to adopt no-smoking policies. County housing officials this year wrestled with balancing the right of smokers to smoke and the right of nonsmokers to live in a healthier, smoke-free environment. By July, the authority's board of commissioners voted to make its properties smoke-free. On Thursday, it voted 5-0 to accept the policy. ... Mountain
View residents have said “No” to public smoking Over 75 percent of the Mountain View residents who took part in the straw poll Tuesday, supported a ban on smoking in public places in Mountain View. According to Bonnie Halford, town clerk, there were “a little over 400 who voted in town.” Of this 343 participated in the straw poll. The results were 263 supported the ban and 80 opposed the ban. She said the support was “over whelming, “ and gives the
council the direction in which to proceed. She did not project a timeline
for the ordinance, but said that an ordinance would have to be drafted.
Then, three readings would be held ... Smoking
on restaurant patios now illegal in SF Smokers in San Francisco can no longer light up in a restaurant's outdoor seating area. The law approved by the city's Board of Supervisors in March went into effect this week. Restaurants must not post signs advising customers they can only smoke at the curb or in a spot that is at least 15 feet from exits, entrances, windows and vents. Failure to comply could cost restaurants a $500 fine. ... Union
City weighs smoking ban for apartments, condos, public events UNION CITY -- The City Council this month will consider a smoking ban in all apartments and condominiums, and at outdoor public events, as part of an effort to boost the city's smoke-free grade from barely passing to top of the class. If approved, the apartment and condominium ban likely will take effect in February 2012. It would affect all dwellings of two or more units, but would not apply to single-family residences or mobile homes. Belmont attracted national attention when it passed such a law in January 2009, and Richmond and Sebastopol have approved similar ordinances since then. The American Lung Association supports prohibiting smoking in all multiunit housing, and recommends at least 80 percent be designated as nonsmoking. The city's other proposed measures, including the ban at public events and efforts to beef up penalties for selling tobacco to minors, would take effect by the end of this year. The city earned a "D" grade in a January report by the association,
which ranked cities and counties based on three policy areas that the
group considers most effective in combating the negative effects of
tobacco at the local level ... Santa
Clara County supervisors ready to enact strong anti-smoking measures
Breathing in the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County is going to get easier soon, thanks to three new ordinances controlling tobacco use that are likely to become law in November. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Oct. 19 to approve the three ordinances introduced by board president Ken Yeager. The second and final vote on two of the ordinances is set for Nov. 9; the third ordinance, Nov. 23. Yeager said he introduced the trio of comprehensive measures to help prevent smoking among youths and to protect residents from secondhand smoke. "The residents of this county deserve strong policies to safeguard
their health," Yeager said. ... City
Council committee tackles second-hand smoke A City Council committee proposed Tuesday broadening Los Angeles' anti-smoking law by prohibiting second-hand smoke in most public areas, including common areas where people gather. City Councilman Bernard Parks said the ban — similar to those imposed in unincorporated Los Angeles County and in other cities — would apply to indoor and outdoor businesses, parks, restaurants, bars and common areas of apartment buidings. The Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee asked the City Attorney's
Office to draft the language for the measure. Parks said his South Los
Angeles district is particularly impacted by health problems from second-hand
smoke. ... Residential
smoking ban puts Santa Clara County in forefront of crackdowns Santa Clara County supervisors gave preliminary unanimous approval to a package of new tobacco laws that are among the most comprehensive and restrictive in the nation. The board is expected to give final approval of most of the laws Nov. 9, and an ordinance governing tobacco retailers returns for a final vote Nov. 23. County officials said the new rules are needed because of growing evidence of the dangers to nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, and the frustration of many multiunit residents of choking on their neighbors' cigarette fumes. As Serena Chen, policy director for the American Lung Association in California, put it, "Smoke doesn't know it's just supposed to stay put.'' . . . A handful of small Bay Area cities, including Belmont and Richmond, have adopted similar measures governing smoking in apartments and condominiums. But the county ordinances, urged by Supervisor Ken Yeager, the board's president, have leapfrogged what had been minimal regulations to the forefront of smoking crackdowns. They have turned county tobacco rules that the American Lung Association had graded an "F" into an "A." ... Costs
of Smoking and Secondhand Smoke Exposure in California American Indian
Communities (Anniversary Report) (PDF) TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Executive Summary .......... 2 II. Sacred Tobacco Use .................. 5 III. Health Effects and Associated Illnesses of Commercial Tobacco Use ............ 6 IV. American Indians in California, Tobacco Behaviors and Associated Risk Factors ............... 11 V. Secondhand Smoke and its Effects on Pregnancy and Children ................... 15 VI. Tribal and Community Tobacco Prevention .......... 18 VII. Costs of Commercial Tobacco-Related Morbidity and Mortality ..................
21 ... Sen.
Jenny Oropeza -- an advocate for Californians Sen. Jenny Oropeza, a legislative leader and tireless advocate for Californians, passed away Wednesday at age 53 of complications from a blood clot. Oropeza, a Democrat who represented Long Beach, worked to improve health of all Californians. She worked on legislation to increase cancer prevention and limit air pollution, including a ban on smoking on state beaches that the governor vetoed. ... Calif.
lawmaker Oropeza dies after long illness Pacific
Grove Considers Smoking Ban At Parks PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. -- Pacific Grove city council members discussed Wednesday evening a possible smoking ban at all public parks, beaches and outdoor dining areas. Members said the proposal has two goals: protecting the environment
and public health ... City
Council bans smoking in all Long Beach parks The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to ban smoking in all city parks and other outdoor areas, including picnic areas, playgrounds, sports or playing fields, walking paths, gardens, hiking trails, and bike paths. Smoking was already illegal on city beaches. The ordinance, which had been recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission, exempts golf courses because of potential revenue loss and because smoking on courses isn't considered likely to affect children or crowds. The law also allows exemptions for activities such as filming or special events. ... Santa
Clara County Supes Pass Tobacco Ordinances The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously passed three new ordinances that will tighten tobacco restrictions in unincorporated areas of the county. The ordinances, introduced by Board President Ken Yeager, were passed following a public hearing . . . They must be read a second time and receive final approval next month before they go into effect. . . . Under the smoking pollution control ordinance, smoking would be banned at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, outdoor shopping malls, all county parks, in hotels and motels, and at retail stores that exclusively sell tobacco and smoking products. Public smoking would also be banned within 30 feet of any outdoor service area, such as a ticket line. The board also passed the multi-unit residences ordinance, which bans smoking in duplexes, condo and townhouse complexes, and apartment buildings. The ordinance does allow for setting up designated smoking areas at least 30 feet away from doors and windows. The ordinance requires new or renewed lease agreements to include a
clause that would prohibit smoking inside units. ... Long
Beach Council tackles smoking in city parks City Council on Tuesday will consider approving an ordinance to ban smoking in all of Long Beach's parks. What started as an idea by 2nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal to prohibit smoking in Long Beach's smallest parks -- the idea being that non-smokers, especially children, would have no way of avoiding smoke in small areas -- has been expanded by the Parks and Recreation Commission into a proposed smoking ban for all parks. The council had initially asked the commission to consider the small-parks idea, asking it to determine what constitutes a small park. After making a decision, the commission decided to revisit the broader
issue a month later and voted unanimously in September to recommend
the ban for all parks. ... Businesses
attempt to make entryways smoke-free Orland businesses are being asked to establish smoke-free entryways so their customers will not have to breath in secondhand smoke. The effort is the project of the California Health Collaborative of Chico, which received a $350,000 grant from the California Health Department's Tobacco Control Project. Collaborative spokeswoman DeAnne Blankenship said Monday the three-year
grant will allow her group and partner organizations to advocate for
a smoke-free North State. ... PG
mayor wants tougher smoking laws
Mayor Carmelita Garcia doesn't think so. She proposed Wednesday that the city consider tightening rules about smoking in public places, particularly parks, beaches, recreation areas, outdoor dining areas and sidewalk tables in front of restaurants and coffeehouses. Pacific Grove, she said, was given an F grade for its smoking laws by the American Lung Association. Garcia proposed asking the council to instruct City Attorney David Laredo and city staff to draw up regulations to cover these areas. The City Council's reaction was mixed. Garcia received support from Councilman Dan Miller, who complained of smokers on the golf course, and Councilman Robert Huitt, who asked instructions to the staff be specific, not general. "We need to look at whether an ordinance will result in a change of behavior," he said. "We've got a lot of things we need to do besides an exercise in rule making." Councilman Bill Kampe said he questions organizations that hand out letter grades to cities. "It's incredibly rare to encounter second-hand smoke in Pacific Grove," he said. ... La
Palma council lights up over smoking in park LA PALMA – Where there's smoke, it's said, there's fire. And there certainly has been hot debate among the City Council regarding proposals to ban smoking and tobacco use at Central Park. But it took a debate of more than 90 minutes and several substitute motions before the council came to a consensus. And when they did, they did not vote to restrict smoking at the city's largest park, recreation superintendent Mike Belknap said. Instead, they voted 5-0 Tuesday to give themselves the ability to set smoking policy through a council resolution. They also directed recreation officials to conduct a resident poll, to see if they want smoking restricted to certain areas of the park, or banned altogether, Belknap said. ...Mill
Valley to consider tighter smoking rules Mill Valley has joined the ranks of local governments in Marin County considering tightening restrictions on smoking, including a crackdown in condos and apartments. Mill Valley has already banned smoking in many enclosed public spaces since 1992. On Monday the council discussed a series of changes to the 1992 rules, proposed in a new draft ordinance written by the county's Tobacco Related Disease Control Program. The draft ordinance include bans on smoking in bus shelters, some apartment
and condo units, restaurants and outdoor dining areas and within 20
feet of building entrances. It would also require that non-smoking multi-family
units be grouped together ... Menlo
Park smoking ban goes into effect Nov. 29 With zero discussion, the Menlo Park City Council waived a second reading of the revised smoking ordinance last week, thus making the new laws official. The changes go into effect Nov. 29. Major revisions include no more smoking in outdoor areas like Cafe Borrone's patio unless the business owner chooses to set aside a designated, unenclosed space for smokers. While residents can still smoke within their own apartments, or while
walking in the street, common-use areas of multi-unit housing will become
smoke-free zones, according to City Attorney Bill McClure. La
Verne council considering smoking ban in public places The La Verne City Council this week will decide whether to adopt an ordinance prohibiting smoking in city parks and facilities. The ordinance includes smoking in any public park, facility, skate park, community center, trail, bikeway or any other area, building or structure operated or owned by the city. The council may vote on the matter at its meeting, 6:30 tonight at
La Verne City Hall, 3660 D St. ... Group
seeks to ban smoking near businesses CHICO — A group focused on health hopes to convince the city councils in Chico and Orland to ban smoking within 20 feet of the entrances to businesses. In 2004, a state law was signed banning smoking within 20 feet of the entrances of municipal, county and state buildings, but there's nothing official to prevent it outside stores, restaurants and bars, said DeAnne Blankenship, a program manager for the California Health Collaborative. Her nonprofit organization is based in Fresno and has five offices in cities around the state, including Chico and Oroville. Blankenship works out of the Chico office and leads the project focusing on smoking in Chico and Orland. In a phone interview this week, she said the No. 1 complaint received by the Butte County Public Health Department is about smokers congregating outside businesses. People complain that entering and departing customers have to walk through a curtain of smoke, and sometimes smoke drifts inside the businesses, she said. Blankenship said the initiative in Chico and Orland aims at helping protect Californians from secondhand smoke, which has been estimated to cause 4,700 deaths each year in the state. The California Health Collaborative recently received a $350,000 grant for the project Blankenship will lead. The money came from the state Tobacco Control Project, which has funds from tobacco taxes. ... Contra
Costa bans indoor smoking in housing complexes Smoking tobacco and medical marijuana in new multiunit housing complexes in unincorporated Contra Costa, even in the privacy of a resident's own dwelling, will be banned because of a new county ordinance. Contra Costa supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to adopt the new regulations, joining four other cities in the county with similar secondhand-smoke restrictions. For new and existing multiunit housing, residents will no longer be
able to smoke on balconies, patios, decks or in carports. The new ordinance
would also make smoking in a nonsmoking area of the housing complex
a lease violation, and give landlords the right to evict a tenant after
three violations. ... Larkspur
sets public forum on tightening smoking rules Anyone who lives or works in Larkspur will have the chance to blow off steam about smoking rules in the city at a public forum Wednesday. The Smoke-Free Marin Coalition and the Marin County Tobacco Related Disease Control Program are co-hosting the discussion on possibly expanding smoke-free areas in Larkspur at 7 p.m. in the City Hall council chambers, 400 Magnolia Ave. The coalition wants Larkspur to update its smoking ordinance - last changed 13 years ago - to ban lighting up near restaurant entrances and outdoor seating areas and further limit smoking in apartment and condominium complexes, said Jennie Cook, a Larkspur resident and chairwoman of the coalition. Under the proposal, smoking inside apartments and on patios would be limited to 25 to 50 percent of units in a complex and relegated to certain sections of the building, Cook said. About half of Larkspur's housing is rental stock, and the coalition has reached out to apartment complex owners and invited them to attend the meeting, she added. ... Forty
Years of Faster Decline in Cigarette Smoking in California Explains
Current Lower Lung Cancer Rates. Carpinteria
City Council Candidates Square Off Carpinterians attended a forum Thursday night to hear from the five candidates running for City Council including three incumbents. They are Mayor Gregg Carty, Vice-Mayor Al Clark, Councilman Ed Stein,
Steve McWhirter and Janice Sugiyama. La
Palma Council Debates How Far to Go With Tobacco Ban La Palma's attempt to ban tobacco, even chewing tobacco, from its Central Park turned into a City Council debate Tuesday over what its citizens actually want when it comes to public smoking bans. The night began with council members considering an outright ban of all tobacco products in the park. But they were swayed by a survey showing that 72 percent of residents support designated smoking areas. In the end, council members, wanting to make sure they were abiding by the will of the people, voted, 4-1, for a proposal for designated smoking areas to be presented at the council's Oct. 5 meeting. "You do want to see restriction in the park, but you want to see some designated island of smokers," said Mayor Pro Tem Ralph Rodriguez ... San
Francisco supes OK expanded tobacco sales ban San Francisco supervisors gave preliminary approval Tuesday to expanding a law that restricts drug stores from selling tobacco products to also apply to grocery stores and big box wholesale clubs with pharmacies. Supervisor Eric Mar, who co-sponsored the legislation, said there was no good reason for stores that sell nicotine patches and drugs to patients with cancer at one counter to offer cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco at another. "Cigarettes and pharmacies don't mix," Mar said. "Pharmacies should promote healing and protect our health." The ordinance expands an existing ban on drug store sales of tobacco products to cover big box wholesale clubs with pharmacies such as Costco Wholesale Corp. and grocery stores such as Safeway. A similar law is on the books in Boston. ... Not
just blowing smoke: Potential changes to Eureka's ordinance in the works When the Eureka City Council passed an ordinance in July restricting where people can smoke, public comment included only those in favor of the measure. That has since changed. Many became aware of the ordinance only after it had passed and businesses were being informed of the new laws about smoking in the city. A few residents and business owners stepped forward at the last council meeting to protest the ordinance, prompting the council to direct staff to draft an amendment that would exclude some outdoor areas in bars, City Manager David Tyson said. He is now working with other city staff and an attorney familiar with
tobacco law to create the exception. At tonight's meeting he will present
his progress to the council as an informational item, and the council
should see an amendment for possible introduction at its mid-October
meeting. ... Smoke
free laws recognized in Truckee TRUCKEE, Calif. — The California Clean Air Project recognized
the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Parks District Board members in their
support and forward movement for smoke-free parks and buildings in Truckee.
This award is given by CCAP, a statewide program of ETR associates to
recognize city councils or boards of supervisors for passing and enforcing
a mandatory smoke-free policy/ordinance in their community. The ordinance
needs to be successful in implementing any of the following: Smoke-free
entryways, smoke-free parks, smoke-free outdoor dining and smoke-free
multi-unit housing in their city or county. ... Parks
and Rec Commission votes to ban smoking in Long Beach parks LONG BEACH - Smokers in Long Beach parks may soon have to snuff it out. A city panel voted Thursday to support a ban on smoking in all Long Beach parks, changing its previous decision. The Parks and Recreation Commission had voted 4-3 on Aug. 19 to recommend that the City Council ban smoking in parks of 1 acre or less in size. The idea to ban the activity in small parks had been proposed by 2nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal and then referred to the commission. However, the issue was revisited Thursday, and the commission voted unanimously in favor of a ban in parks of all sizes. One member of the seven-person commission, Sarah Tong Sangmeister, was absent. ... County
bans all smoking at housing complexes The San Bernardino County Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners has banned smoking in all units and common areas of several housing complexes, despite divided research on the dangers of second-hand smoke. Four housing complexes throughout the county have been transitioned to non-smoking communities, Susan Benner, executive director of the housing authority said in a press release. Benner said residents overwhelmingly supported the smoking ban. These policies protect residents from drifting secondhand smoke from neighboring units and restrict smoking in common areas, according to the housing authority's press release. ... Menlo
Park tightening restrictions on smokers The city council unanimously approved a new law on Tuesday that would ban smoking in common areas of apartment and condominium buildings, parks and picnic areas. It would also make it illegal to smoke at athletic fields and transit stops. The council needs to hold another vote on the measure before it can go into effect. Councilmember did agree to allow restaurants, bars and tobacco shops
to permit smoking in designated outside patio areas in response to concerns
raised by some local business owners. ... The ordinance will return to the council for a second reading and council action. If the council approves the ordinance, it will go into effect in 60 days. City Attorney Bill McClure walked the council through major changes to the ordinance, which will ban smoking in outdoor areas like Cafe Barrone's patio unless the business owner chooses to set aside a designated, unenclosed space for smokers. The burden will be on the owners to put up signs allowing smoking, Mr. McClure said, otherwise the assumption should be that smoking is prohibited. While residents can still smoke within their own apartment, or while walking in the street, common use areas of multi-unit housing will become smoke-free zones. Mr. McClure explained that those violating the ordinance could be subject
to fines and code enforcement action. ... Smoking will be banned in many public places in Menlo Park, including the common areas of apartment and condominium buildings, under a new law unanimously approved by the city council Tuesday night. Responding to concerns from local business owners, council members granted an exemption for restaurants, bars and tobacco shops to permit smoking in designated outside patio areas, despite general agreement about the health impacts of secondhand smoke. Existing state law prohibits smoking in playgrounds and within 20 feet of building entry ways, as well as in most indoor places of employment. Menlo Park's ordinance also makes it illegal to light up at parks, picnic areas, athletic fields, transit stops and other waiting areas. In addition, it bans smoking in the common areas of apartment and condominium buildings, including halls, stairways, lobbies, laundry rooms, swimming pools, shared cooking areas and associated parking areas. It does not restrict smoking on streets and sidewalks and uncovered parking lots. In order for the ordinance to become law, the council will need to hold a second reading and take another vote at a future meeting. It would become effective 60 days after passage. ... Smoking
ban on residential balconies, porches takes effect Smokers in Santa Monica are no longer allowed to light up while on balconies or porches near homes. The Santa Monica City Council strengthened the city's protections against second-hand smoke by adopting an ordinance Aug. 10 that expands the smoke-free outdoor areas at multi-unit residential properties to a 25-foot radius around all doors, windows, and vents. This includes all private balconies, patios, porches, and decks within the 25-foot radius and also covers areas on neighboring properties that are within 25 feet of a door, window or vent. The new 25-foot rule takes effect Thursday, Sept. 9. Push
under way to regulate smoking in Marin apartment complexes Sep 08, 2010 (The Marin Independent Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The county of Marin and four municipalities, including Fairfax and Larkspur, are exploring the possibility of regulating smoking in apartment complexes, a step taken by the city Novato two years ago. When the American Lung Association issued its yearly report card on tobacco control in January, five Marin municipalities -- Belvedere, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Sausalito and Tiburon -- flunked. Fairfax, Larkspur, San Anselmo and San Rafael were ranked below average, a D grade. Novato, which passed sweeping tobacco control legislation in 2008, garnered a B, one of only 11 jurisdictions statewide to do so. Fairfax Town Council members discussed an ordinance last week that would require existing apartment complexes with six or more units to be 50 percent nonsmoking, and new complexes of like size to be 75 percent nonsmoking within a year. It would ban smoking in apartment complex common areas. The council postponed any action and agreed to continue discussion at its October meeting. Fairfax has already held two public meetings on the issue. Smoke Free Marin, a coalition of tobacco activists, community groups, health agencies and youth-serving agencies, will present arguments for tightening smoking regulations to Larkspur residents during a public forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Larkspur City Council chambers at 400 Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur. Council members representing two other Marin cities expressed interest
in an ordinance regulating smoking in apartment ... Pleasant
Hill clarifies anti-smoking rules PLEASANT HILL -- The City Council has cleared away the cloud of ambiguity hovering over the stricter anti-smoking rules they adopted earlier this year. In April, the council amended the existing smoking regulations in an effort to reduce residents' exposure to secondhand smoke. The biggest changes apply to housing with four or more units. For example, the ordinance bans smoking in indoor and outdoor common areas, except those designated for smoking. Originally, the council banned smoking within 20 feet of a door, operable window or ventilation system, unless the smoker was passing by. They also banned smoking on private decks, balconies and patios located within 20 feet of a designated nonsmoking unit. But apartment owners said the ordinance was unclear. Since most balconies, patios and decks are close to a door, they wondered if the council intended to prohibit smoking on these outdoor spaces. Councilman Michael Harris, who pushed for the new anti-smoking rules, pointed out that even minimal exposure to secondhand smoke poses a significant health risk, especially for children. "We know there are a lot of families with young children who live
in apartments," said Harris, who proposed banning smoking on all
private decks, balconies and patios. ... West
Hollywood to debate tight limits on outdoor smoking The West Hollywood City Council on Tuesday evening will discuss extending a smoking ban to outdoor patios and open-air spaces. Officials are not yet ready to vote on such a ban because it must first be drafted and considered by a city-appointed task force. The goal is take on the city’s smoking habit, which persists despite West Hollywood’s existing tough tobacco restrictions. The city already prohibits smoking in public places, indoor areas of restaurants, and bars and work spaces. Yet it has the fourth-highest smoking rate compared with Los Angeles' 15 city council districts and the more than 100 cities and unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County, according to a June report from the county health department. A West Hollywood task force has met six times to work out a potential ordinance. Concerns raised include a possible negative effect on restaurants and hotels, which cater to international travelers more likely to smoke. A staff report suggested otherwise: “Research analyzing the economic impact of indoor smoking bans suggests that there is more likely to be an economic benefit from creating smoke-free environments."The City of Beverly Hills is the only city known to have conducted an analysis of the economic impact of their outdoor smoking ban which, while limited in scope, shows there was a net economic benefit for most businesses,” the staff report stated ... Smoking
ban in Menlo Park's public places to come before on Sept. 14 Menlo Park next week could become the latest Peninsula city to make it exceedingly difficult for smokers to light up in public and in the common areas of apartment and condominium complexes. At its meeting next Tuesday, the city council will review a proposed ordinance that would ban smoking in parks, picnic areas, athletic fields and transit stops, among other public places. In addition, the ordinance would prohibit smoking in the common areas of apartment and condominium buildings including halls, stairways, lobbies, laundry rooms, swimming pools, shared cooking areas and associated parking areas. The law would not restrict smoking on streets and sidewalks -- except when they're being used for such city-sponsored events as fairs and parades -- and at uncovered parking lots. Although smoking would be outlawed inside restaurants and bars, the ordinance would allow it on their outside patios. Smoking also would be permitted inside tobacco shops ... Smoking
ban overreaches West Hollywood, California (September 6, 2010) - Like the bussing of kids rather than the improvement of schools - the smoking ban is a stupid and doomed. I do not smoke; I did, but no longer do. I think the ban on smoking
in public buildings and restaurants is reasonable, but what the city
is planning to now do is idiotic. ... Ban
on smoking in apartments considered then tabled The Fairfax Town Council, Wednesday night, briefly considered and then temporarily shelved an ordinance that would ban smoking in multi-unit apartment complexes. The ordinance, brought by council member Larry Bragman, is designed to limit the amount of secondhand smoke that apartment dwellers are exposed to. Because many apartment complexes have shared common spaces, ventilation systems, patios, and closely-packed windows and doors, secondhand smoke from one apartment can enter another without those residents even necessarily knowing. "Lots of people say, 'we're protected at work, what makes secondhand smoke any better at home?'" said Pam Granger of Smoke Free Marin. Two forums were held over the past six months in which residents were able to voice concerns they had about a possible ordinance. The stories that some families and kids told "would just break your heart," said Granger, who also pointed out that kids and seniors are the most affected by pollutants in the air and spend large amounts of time in their homes. "At home, it doesn't give you a choice to walk away," said
Lydia Kind Heart. ... South
Pasadena takes another step against public smoking SOUTH PASADENA - After a new ordinance banning smoking in common areas in apartment, condo and townhouse complexes goes into effect this weekend, Yan Shackleton worries she may not see much of her father. "I can't imagine telling my dad not to smoke," said Shackleton, 36, who lives in an apartment complex near El Centro Street. "I'm not kidding. He won't go to Santa Monica" because of a similar ordinance there. Starting Saturday, residents of multi-unit dwellings - including duplexes - who light up in common areas like lobbies, stairways, community rooms and elevators will face a minimum fine of $250. The ordinance goes further. In three years, beginning in September 2013, smoking will be banned inside individual apartments, duplexes, condos and townhomes. Landlords can designate smoking areas or designate not more than 20 percent of their units as smoking residences. Effective immediately as of Saturday, all new construction units must
be non-smoking, according to the ordinance. ... Outdoor
Inhale Last month, the Eureka City Council quietly passed a wide-ranging new anti-smoking ordinance, prohibiting smoking more or less everywhere apart from your own home: No smoking within 100 feet of the Eureka Boardwalk; no smoking at farmers’ markets, festivals or Arts Alive!; in fact, no smoking within 30 feet of any doorway, window, crack or vent to an enclosed space. Technically, you can’t even throw a cigarette butt into a trash can within the new boundaries. The ordinance was discussed at several council hearings without fanfare or complaint. When Mayor Virginia Bass asked for public comment prior to the council’s July 20 vote, two people simply raised their thumbs in support. The measure passed unanimously, and on Monday it officially went into effect. ... HHS
Secretary Announces Launch of Unprecedented Anti-Smoking Effort in Los
Angeles County Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today joined Los Angeles County Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Mark Ridley-Thomas and county Health Officer Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding to announce the start of the most aggressive, comprehensive anti-smoking campaign in L.A. County history to reach communities with high smoking rates across the county. This anti-tobacco effort will include several policy-based initiatives, social services and support for quit smoking efforts, as well as a high-profile and highly targeted media campaign to support a broad range of tobacco control efforts and raise awareness of free and low-cost resources to help smokers quit. These tactics will aim to ultimately reduce secondhand smoke exposure, discourage tobacco use, reduce consumption of tobacco products, strengthen youth smoking prevention efforts, and increase access to and utilization of effective tobacco cessation services. ... Parks
and Rec Commission recommends smoking ban for parks LONG BEACH - The Long Beach Parks and Recreation Commission voted Thursday morning to recommend banning smoking in small parks of one acre or less in size. The recommendation will go to the City Council for approval at a later date. Before unanimously approving the recommendation, the commission initially
voted 4-3 against prohibiting smoking in parks that are five acres or
smaller. The decision disappointed members of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free
Long Beach, who were at the meeting to support the wider ban. ... Smoking
Task Force to finalize outdoor smoking ban West Hollywood, California (August 19, 2010) - When West Hollywood
(then-Mayor) Abbe Land and Mayor John Heilman introduced a ban on outdoor
smoking at WeHo restaurants and nightclubs in December, 2009, they believed
they enjoyed a consensus, and so put it on the calendar for days before
the Christmas holiday on the city council consent calendar. ... Smoking
Ban Could Include Parks But Not Sidewalks For Now Eureka's
new smoking laws kick in Monday Calif
Chamber: Pot law would allow smoking at work Supporters and opponents of a ballot measure to legalize marijuana in California are dueling over the law's possible effects on employers and the workplace. The California Chamber of Commerce claimed in a legal analysis released Thursday that Proposition 19 would lead to more workplace accidents by forcing employers to let workers smoke pot on the job. The analysis also contends the law would make California companies ineligible for federal contracts because employers could not guarantee a drug-free workplace. The proposition's supporters dispute the chamber's findings. They point to the state Legislative Analyst's Office's determination that employers would "retain existing rights to address consumption of marijuana that impairs an employee's job performance." Mainly at issue is a section of the proposition that says no one can "be denied any right or privilege" because they engaged in legal conduct permitted by the act, such as smoking pot. . . . The chamber claims the proposition would create a new, ill-defined standard of "actual impairment" that would prevent employers from disciplining workers simply for consuming marijuana. Instead, according to the chamber's analysis, employers would have to prove that pot impaired an employee's job performance. "For example, if a forklift driver showed up reeking of marijuana smoke, an employer could not take disciplinary action until it could be proven that the employee's job performance was 'actually impaired' by the marijuana use (for example, after an accident occurred)," the chamber wrote. ... Smoking
Ban At Santa Monica Pier Unanimously Approved People on the Santa Monica Pier will no longer be able to light-up.The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously last night to ban smoking at the historic site. Council member Kevin McKeown says part of the reason is to protect the pier from fire and there's strong support for the ban. ... Santa
Monica's Next Possible Smoking Ban: The Pier Santa Monica city leaders should really just ban smoking throughout the whole city. Is the process of of slowly hacking away at bits and pieces of the city -- the latest was to ban smoking 25 feet within an apartment or condo building window or door -- really that efficient? Now the City Council will determine if smoking should be banned on
the Santa Monica Pier. And there appears to be good reason for this.
To quote a staff report, via the Lookout News: "Improperly extinguished
cigarettes are reported to be the leading cause of fire on the pier."
... HB
councilman withdraws smoking ban proposal South
City seeks smoke-free parks Creating smoke-free parks where children can play, parents can watch and others can wander was the direction of the South San Francisco City Council, which wasn’t ready to support a stricter smoking ban in downtown. An ordinance banning smoking on downtown sidewalks, in parks and at public events went before the City Council for discussion Wednesday. While all councilmembers supported the ban in parks and potentially during city-sponsored events, Councilwoman Karyl Matsumoto stood alone in her desire for a stricter ban. Although there was no vote, the council directed staff to come back with an ordinance outlawing smoking in parks. In addition, staff was asked to research ways of sharing the costs for cleaning downtown. “Smokers have a choice. Non-smokers do not,” said Matsumoto, according to a video of the meeting. Smoking carries with it a number of health concerns, which inspired Matsumoto to support a stricter rule. As a volunteer who helps clean areas of the community, Matsumoto also noted the large amount of trash generated by smokers in the form of butts and packaging. A number of people spoke supporting the stricter regulations even asking
for an increased no-smoking zone around doors, from 5 feet to 20 or
30 feet. Matsumoto supported the stricter regulation but was alone in
her desire to move forward. ... Council
Expands Residential Smoking Ban The City Council on Tuesday strengthened second-hand smoking protection in multi-family residential buildings with a ban on smoking within a 25-foot radius of doors and windows. Smoking is already not allowed in common areas, but this new restriction will cover private balconies, patios and other areas from which smoke can travel to other units and common areas. As when the council members approved the common area ban last year, they did not approve any penalties for violating the restriction. Those who are bothered by a violator can take the person to small claims court. Nearly all the council members admitted this was not a great solution, but some feared including an infraction could lead to evictions. “It’s the classic ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions,’” Council member Gleam Davis said. “What we are doing here is walking a very thin line trying to weigh and protect the rights of non-smokers and the rights of tenants.” Mayor Bobby Shriver wants penalties for violations. He was the lone vote against the measure because he said it was not strong enough. Although he did not specify he wanted a ban on smoking within a unit, something some activists have demanded, Shriver said one does not have the right to do whatever he or she pleases in the home. “Even though I fully take the home is your castle kind of concept, it’s not your castle for various things already under the law,” Shriver said. “You can’t have certain controlled substances in your home. You can’t engage in certain kinds of activities in your home. And why your right to engage in putting carcinogens into babies should be protected is beyond me.” ... Cigarette
sales, smokers decline Taking a puff in California is getting to be a drag, with health concerns and high prices pushing cigarette sales in the most recent fiscal year to their steepest plunge in a decade. Californians bought 8.1% fewer cigarettes in fiscal 2009 -- which ended June 30 -- than a year earlier, according to a report Tuesday from the California State Board of Equalization. The steepest previous sales drop was the 11.2% dive in fiscal 1999 from a year earlier. Since peaking in fiscal 1980 with 2.8 billion packs, cigarette sales has tumbled 65.6% to 972 million packs, the state tax board said. That's a drop of about 3.5% -- or 59 million packs -- each year. And it's not just that people are making do with fewer cigarettes --
the percentage of smokers has been cut in half since 1985, according… Contra
Costa holds off on apartment smoking ban MARTINEZ -- Medical marijuana has put a temporary lid on Contra Costa County's plans to ban smoking inside new apartments and condos, a major expansion of its already strict smoking laws. The board on Tuesday postponed for two weeks a vote on the more restrictive secondhand smoking ordinance pending a decision about whether it should exempt the smoking of medically prescribed marijuana. "Smoke is smoke," said board Chairman John Gioia, of Richmond. "But we need to know where this issue stands with respect to state law." If adopted, smoking would be banned inside all apartment or condominium complexes of four units or more built after Jan. 1. Santa
Cruz City Council asked to lift smoking ban for WAMMFest After the last several WAMMFests encountered challenges, organizers of Santa Cruz's annual medical marijuana awareness event appear to be in for an easier time getting the city's nod of approval. Today, the City Council will consider lifting a smoking ban at San Lorenzo Park for five hours Sept. 25 to allow authorized pot users to medicate inside open-air tents designed to create privacy. The item is on the council's consent agenda, indicating that it may not be as controversial as in years past. "For the city, it's a matter of course," Mayor Mike Rotkin said. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the event is free and open to the public, but if the council OKs temporarily lifting the ban, organizers will allow smoking marijuana only in a separate tent. Medical marijuana identification will be required. . . . This year's measure calls for lifting the smoking ban in the entire park, but urges the organizers "to designate a specific enclosed location for medical marijuana treatment." Councilman Don Lane said he supports the measure because WAMM has acted responsibly in hosting previous events. "They have a good reason for wanting to allow it in just this one instance." Contra
Costa will look at smoking ban in new, multiunit apartments For apartment dwellers who light up, outdoors is fast becoming off-limits — and indoors, too, in some places. The Contra Costa County board of supervisors today will consider joining other counties and cities in leveling stiff restrictions on smoking around apartments and condos — including a ban inside new multiunit housing beginning 2011. That ordinance would ban puffing in carports, on outdoor balconies, porches, decks and patios in all buildings with four or more residences. It also would require landlords to include the smoking limits in new leases — enabling eviction of tenants who fail to comply. The goal of the restrictions, which would affect unincorporated areas of the county only, is not to force people to quit, but to reduce health damage from secondhand smoke that wafts through windows, doors and ventilation systems, said Denice Dennis, manager of the county's Tobacco Prevention Project. A rising number of complaints — now more than half of all complaints to the county-run project — are for smoke drift, she said. "Someone's out on the balcony and it's drifting in my door or
window or drifting in through the piping — there's a lot of cracks
and crevices in multiunit housing," she said. "Science has
demonstrated that secondhand smoke can permeate walls." ... County
considering expanded smoking ban in unincorporated areas Santa Clara County could see increased restrictions on smoking in public and new permit requirements for tobacco retailers by the end of the year, and the county Department of Public Health is reaching out to gauge public reaction to the idea. County representatives held the first of three public meetings on proposed tobacco prevention ordinances this month in Mountain View, Morgan Hill and San Jose. Those on hand at the meetings, appeared to support the county's efforts to expand restrictions on smoking in unincorporated areas. "There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke," said Janet Ghanem, project director for Breathe California in San Jose. "We would like to see it regulated better in public areas throughout the county and not just in unincorporated areas, but we are fully in support of these ordinances." . . . One of the main aspects of the proposed ordinances would create an annual tobacco retail permit that would be required to sell tobacco products in current and future retail establishments. ... Mixed
reaction to tough Sebastopol smoking ban Chris Ranta usually lights up outdoors. Even as a fan of heavy-hitting Marlboro Reds, he doesn't want to be surrounded by the odor in his house. But news that he soon may not have the choice to smoke at home strikes him as preposterous. The Sebastopol City Council voted Tuesday to ban cigarette smoking in multi-unit dwellings, while preserving the right to consume medical marijuana in such abodes. It's something out of “1984,” George Orwell's famous story of government run amok, said Ranta, who lives in Bear Meadows Townhomes on Bodega Avenue. “That's Big Brother talking,” he said. “You're taking rights away from a person.” Not so, says Councilwoman Kathleen Shaffer, one of the main champions of the change. She's said the restrictions — which passed unanimously — are about giving rights to children, not taking rights. It's a topic she's lived through. As a child growing up with parents
who both smoked in the house, she was perpetually sick, she said. ... Sebastopol
City Council approves tough smoking ban The Sebastopol City Council approved a smoking ordinance on Tuesday that is the toughest in Sonoma County, extending the smoking ban to apartments. The council, however, restricted the ban to tobacco and nicotine products, removing any mention of medical marijuana. The ordinance would require that landlords write into leases for new renters a prohibition on smoking, with a 14-month grace period for existing tenants. In California, only the city of Belmont has an ordinance as broad, although Rohnert Park will have a smoking prohibition in half of that city's apartments takes effect next year. The Sebastopol ordinance still needs to be brought back at a future
City Council meeting for final approval. ... Apartments
May Be Added to the Smoking Ban List in Sebastopol First
Ever Report Shows Smoking Rates by Local Community A new report that breaks down adult cigarette smoking rates by geographical area in Los Angeles County finds there are great disparities between cities/communities when it comes to tobacco use. The report, titled Cigarette Smoking in Los Angeles County: Local Data to Inform Tobacco Policy, is intended to inform cities and communities and facilitate their efforts to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke. "Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases and many cancers. Over one million adults in the county continue to risk their lives by smoking, as well as endanger the lives of others with their secondhand smoke," said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. "Understanding where smoking rates are highest in the county allows policy makers to develop support for and establish programs and policies in the fight against tobacco use." The following is a brief breakdown of cities and communities with higher and lower adult smoking rates: . . . Los Angeles County offers resources to residents who are currently addicted to tobacco, have already quit, or want to help a friend or relative kick this deadly addiction as well. Residents can visit LAQuits.com for information and resources about quitting smoking, or call the California Smokers' Helpline, 1-800-NO-BUTTS. Supes
approve smoking ban Starting today, lighting up at most of Santa Barbara County’s 70 parks, beaches and trails will be a no-no. In an effort to reduce litter, pollution and help ensure a clean-air environment exists for all park goers, the Board of Supervisors in May approved a smoking ban, which will go into effect today. Smokers cringing at the thought of paying stiff fines, however, need not worry. The main thrust of enforcing the ban, explained Michele Mickiewicz, a spokeswoman for the Public Health Department, is education. “The approach that we’re using isn’t really punitive,” she said. “The signs are the primary driver.” By the end of this month, Mickiewicz said signs will be posted at all of the county’s parks and beaches, with the exception of Cachuma Lake and Jalama Beach, where overnight camping is allowed and smoking will be permitted. In addition to the signs, county officials will attempt to educate
the public about the ban through bilingual newspaper and radio advertisements
throughout the summer. ... Smoking
ban in public housing? San Joaquin agency seeks balance health ... Housing officials have indicated they want to take a closer look before adopting a new policy. "It's really a question of balancing the rights of each of the residents," Irenemaree Castillo, a member of the Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners, said at a recent public hearing. That means protecting the rights of both the smoker and the nonsmoker, she said. "There's a lot of thinking we need to do." At the end of the hearing, the commissioners moved to create an ad hoc committee to explore possibilities. ... Coffee
chain's smoking ban no big deal here Starting last week, Starbucks patrons no longer are able to smoke within 10 feet of the front door, a nationwide extension of the mega-chain's previous rule that disallows any smoking within the building. But the ban doesn't mean a change to California residents, where more restrictive state laws are already in place. "We adhere to the state laws, which is 20 feet from the entrance," said Kimberlee Wheeler, who works as a shift leader at Peet's, another coffee chain shop in downtown Chico. Wheeler said the customers at Peet's are familiar with the law and will move to accommodate both the rule and the other patrons who are sensitive to smoke. . . . "There's no smoking on the premises, but we're not going to tell them that," said Matt Long, manager of the Dutch Brother's coffee shop on Cohasset Avenue in Chico. "The customer's always right. If they're gonna smoke, we're gonna let them." Starbucks customers seem to be largely thankful for the ruling. ... Smoking
ban in public housing? New
smoking ban in effect Smoke-Free
Outdoor Dining Is a Real Possibility for San Diego Starbucks
snuffing out smoking outdoors A tall nonfat caramel macchiato with extra foam, please. Just hold the smoke. Starting Monday, Starbucks customers are welcome to sit outside and sip a while as long as they don't light up. The international coffee giant is extending its ban on indoor smoking to outdoor patios and dining areas in California. … Council
Calls for Expansion of Residential Smoking Ban Santa Monica's smoking ban in multi-family residential complexes could soon be expenaded to include outdoor areas such as patios and balconies. The City Council last week asked City staff to draft an ordinance that
would to provide options on prohibiting smoking in all new units as
well as incorporating the City’s smoking policy into a new Los
Angeles County program involving low interest loans for retrofitting
homes with environmentally friendly energy systems. ... Smoking
restricted in Irvine shopping centers A crackdown on smoking has begun within Irvine shopping centers, part of a voluntary city-backed effort to snuff out cigarette use near local businesses. The Irvine Co. earlier this month set up "smoke free" zones within more than two-dozen shopping centers, city officials announced on Tuesday. The Irvine City Council last year agreed to work with private property owners to restrict smoking within 50 to 100 feet around city shopping centers. The voluntary smoking ban was proposed by Councilman Larry Agran in order to reduce the danger of second hand smoke. As owner of the vast majority of Irvine shopping centers, the Irvine Co. was a key partner in the no smoking effort. Senior Irvine Co. Vice President Mike LeBlanc said shoppers have been cooperative. ... Forum
to discuss Fairfax smoking ban Over three months ago, at the Feb. 3 Fairfax Town Council meeting, Vice Mayor Larry Bragman posed the question of whether the rights of smokers outweighed the health of their neighbors, adding that smoking was the leading cause of fire in the Fairfax community. "The council prided itself on health and safety and needed to examine the issue," said Bragman. This week, Bragman will facilitate a public forum to discuss expanding smoke-free units in multi-unit housing, such as duplexes, apartments and condominiums. The discussion will center on policy options to reduce second-hand-smoke exposure to nonsmokers and fire hazards related to smoking. ... Smoking
ban may expand San
Luis Obispo's public smoking ban goes into effect Thursday A new law that bans smoking from nearly all public places in San Luis Obispo starts Thursday. Under the new law smoking is prohibited in indoor and outdoor areas frequented by the public, including sidewalks, parking garages, bars, restaurants, stores, stadiums, playgrounds and transit centers. Lighting up in outdoor areas is also banned in areas that are within 20 feet of indoor areas. Exceptions include private residential units and designated hotel rooms, existing tobacco retailers, and outdoor areas in which no nonsmoker is present. ... No
smoking at Pasadena's new Westgate Apartments The 480 apartments coming to market in Pasadena don't look much different from the competition, but they do smell different. Smoking isn't allowed anywhere on the premises. Developer Sares-Regis Group wants a coveted LEED certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council that means the property meets certain environmental standards. Among the standards is good air quality, and one way to achieve it is to make sure smoke doesn't wend its way from one apartment to another. That means that tenants and visitors who feel compelled to light up can be seen indulging themselves across the street from the eight-acre Westgate Apartments complex . . . On the plus side, a LEED-certified green building is desirable to a large segment of renters, Carlson said. Smoke-free units are also cheaper to clean when tenants move out. The decision is paying off so far. The rate of leasing since the first of nine buildings at Westgate opened in November is above projections, he said. ... City
to consider sweeping laws on smoking Could become first in county to earn an 'A' from Lung Association If history is any indication, smokers in Solana Beach could soon be facing another pack of extinguishing restrictions. In 1993, the city became the first to outlaw smoking in restaurants. In 2001, Solana Beach was the first to ban lighting-up on beaches. Later this month, it will consider how much staff time to invest in researching the possibilities of a variety of tools that could make it the first in the county to limit smoking in apartments or multi-unit housing. Currently El Cajon is the only city in San Diego County that extends its public smoking ban to common areas of apartment buildings. It does not, however, limit use in apartments themselves. Thought of by many as a champion of anti-smoking legislation, Solana Beach was one of only 15 cities in California last year to receive an overall "B" grade in the American Lung Association's anti-smoking annual report card. Just four out of the more than 400 jurisdictions assessed in the state received "A's". The reason the top grade is so rare is that cities must take steps to limit smoking in apartment buildings, which is controversial and can be hard to enforce. ... City
OKs public area smoking ban Smoking will soon be prohibited in many areas throughout Crescent City, including public parks, playgrounds and in front of downtown businesses. The Crescent City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance this week that, once enacted, could make smokers pay up to $500 in penalties for violating the new law. The ordinance won’t take effect until next month, but once it
does, people will not be allowed to smoke within 25 feet of playgrounds
or entrances of buildings that are open to the general public. It also
prohibits smoking in all parks within Crescent City’s jurisdiction
and at events such as farmers’ markets, parades or festivals. ... City
Hall Watch: Tobacco-sales ban rejected A proposal to ban the sale of tobacco products within 1,000 feet of schools was snuffed out Tuesday and sent back to the drawing board. Intended to curb smoking among kids, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s legislation to ban tobacco sales near schools was opposed by the business owners it would impact. Members of the Board of Supervisors have questioned the soundness of policies that restrict business. On Tuesday, Supervisor John Avalos made a motion to send the legislation back to a board committee for further discussion about “our enforcement efforts and also ways that we could provide a carrot approach to minimize the sale of tobacco in San Francisco.” The motion was unanimously supported. “It gives an opportunity to find common ground,” Newsom spokesman
Tony Winnicker said. “This is a common-sense measure that’s
enacted in many cities already. ... Veto
disappoints backers of Calif. smoking ban SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Advocates of a bill that would have banned smoking at all California state parks and beaches say they're disappointed in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to veto the measure. "We're very dismayed to see the governor has not prioritized clean and healthy beaches, especially since our coast lines are a driving force to our California economy," said Angela Howe, an attorney for the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation, a San Clemente-based environmental organization. The foundation had hoped Schwarzenegger would follow a 2008 recommendation by the California Ocean Protection Council to ban smoking at all state beaches to help reduce polluting marine debris. But the cigar-smoking Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have done that Monday, saying the bill crossed the line of government intrusion. In a letter to California senators, the governor said state parks and local governments were already permitted to ban smoking on a case-by-case basis. "There is something inherently uncomfortable about the idea of the state encroaching in such a broad manner on the people of California," Schwarzenegger wrote. ... Winters
housing to soon be smoke free The city is the second municipality in Yolo County to pass this resolution, following Woodland which passed it in April 2008. As many California cities debate laws to ban smoking in outdoor and indoor spaces, more and more Yolo County multi-unit housing complexes are going smoke-free. ... Parks
target of cigarette butt ban The Foster City Council is moving toward limiting smoking in public places and will consider tonight whether to endorse a resolution that identifies the city’s 21 parks as smoke-free. The council launched a smoke-free community initiative in March by endorsing a resolution that called for smoke-free events at the city’s parks. The City Council policy calendar has identified smoke-free parks as the next phase in the movement toward the evaluation of prohibiting smoking in public spaces in Foster City by ordinance, according to a staff report prepared by Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Miller. Smoke-free parks is a goal the Parks and Recreation Committee has set for 2010. In the long-term, the goal is to related to recommend the City Council consider changing the ordinance to prohibit smoking in all city parks. According to Miller’s report, decreasing smoking in the Foster City park system will also decrease the amount of cigarette butts which are hazardous to children, animals the environment and positively affect the cleanliness of community parks. ... Smoking-attributable
Cancer Mortality in California, 1979-2005. Evaluation
of the Economic Impact of California's Tobacco Control Program: A Dynamic
Model Approach. Evaluation
of California's In-school Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Activities
Using a Nested School-longitudinal Design, 2003-2004 and 2005-2006.
Claremont
Rejects Proposal to Ban Public Smoking The Claremont City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to reject a proposal that would have amended the city’s No Smoking Ordinance to include a ban on smoking in outdoor public places. The Community Services Commission drafted and presented the City Council with a proposal that stated that smoking would be prohibited in “restaurants’ outdoor dining areas (enclosed or not enclosed, including sidewalk tables where food is served or consumed), outdoor bar/pub patios, clubs or waiting lines within 20 feet from such lines, hotel common areas, the Village Plaza including all walkway arteries entering the plaza, farmers’ market and outdoor public gathering places for planned events.” According to City of Claremont Management Analyst Stacey Niemeyer, the ban would have extended to restaurants on the Claremont College campuses, as well as college events like Pitzer’s Kohoutek and other campus events that required a city permit. State law already prohibits smoking in all enclosed workplaces, including
restaurants and bars. However, Niemyer said after reviewing smoking
bans in other Southern California cities, including Los Angeles, Burbank,
Santa Monica, Pasadena, and Beverly Hills, the Commission determined
that a more comprehensive ban on smoking was the right decision for
Claremont ... Concord
moves toward banning smoking downtown, possibly citywide When the city banned smoking in Todos Santos Plaza, cigarette smokers just congregated on the other side of the street. Now, at the request of downtown property owners, the city may push them a block farther. Concord took a step toward banning smoking downtown, and possibly throughout the city, last week at a City Council subcommittee meeting. The committee, made up of Councilmen Mark Peterson and Bill Shinn, supported a proposal from downtown property owners to ban smoking in the commercial blocks immediately surrounding Todos Santos Plaza. Under the proposal, smoking would be banned within 30 feet of a building entrance, effectively blocking off the whole sidewalk. ... Winters
joins Yolo County smoke-free apartments trend Winters recently became the second city in Yolo County to back smoke-free apartments. The town passed a resolution on April 20 encouraging apartment complexes in Winters to designate at least half of their property as smoke-free. The action follows a similar resolution in April 2008 passed by Woodland. At least 16 Yolo County housing complexes restrict smoking in at least half of the units, according to the Smoke-Free Apartments Project of the Yolo County Health Department. The effort is aimed at cutting down on exposure to secondhand smoke, which can drift between apartments, according to the Health Department. ... Claremont
City Council to consider smoking ban City Council tonight will consider an amendment to ban smoking in some of the city's public places. The ban would prohibit smoking in outdoor dining areas, outdoor pub/ bar patios, clubs, waiting lines or within 20 feet of lines, hotel common areas, Village Plaza, Farmers Market and outdoor public gathering places for planned events. The Community Services Commission in March approved the ordinance. Approval of the ordinance by the council at tonight's meeting depends on discussion among its members and input from the community, Mayor Linda Elderkin said. . . . The Claremont Chamber of Commerce is uncertain about the impact the ordinance could have on businesses that currently allow smoking, chamber Chairman Paul Held said. "That's the whole issue of it. We don't know," Held said. . . . Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas, Santa Monica, Pasadena,
South Pasadena, Beverly Hills and Temecula have implemented similar
smoking bans. ... Clamping
Down on Smoking in the City Smoking is officially illegal just about everywhere in San Francisco. New anti-smoking rules went into effect over the weekend and people who violate the new rules could feel the negative impact on more than just their health. If someone calls police and they come during a violation of the ban, the smoker be fined up to $100. The new rule makes it illegal to light up at sidewalk cafes, restaurant
patios, movie and ATM lines and the common areas of housing complexes.
It will also be a much easier breathing experience, farmers markets,
lines for movies theaters, concerts and sporting events, near cab stands
and ATMs. The resolution also bans smoking near doorways and windows
of offices, shops and restaurants and at bingo halls ... City
Council supports smoking ban Law would apply to public places around the city Lighting up a stogie in Beachfront Park or puffing on a cigarette while walking through Crescent City’s downtown business district could soon cost someone up to $500. On Monday, the Crescent City Council unanimously passed a smoking ordinance that, once enacted, will prohibit smoking in many public places throughout city limits, including in parks, near playgrounds and within 25 feet of business entrances. The penalties for violating the provisions of the ordinance, which also includes a section related to cigarette butt littering, could result in both an infraction punishable by a $250 fine if a person is found guilty and an administrative citation from the city that carries the same $250 pricetag. “I’m thrilled we’re finally getting this passed,” Council member Kathryn Murray said. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for for a long time.” ... Smoking
ban approved in SLO The San Luis Obispo City Council on Tuesday voted 4-1 to give its final approval to a ban on smoking in nearly all areas open to the public. Under the new law, which passed 4-1 on April 6, smoking is prohibited in indoor and outdoor areas frequented by the public, including sidewalks, parking garages, bars, restaurants, stores, stadiums, playgrounds and transit centers. It becomes effective May 20. The citywide ban puts San Luis Obispo in the same class with two dozen other California cities that have banned smoking from all areas frequented by the public, including multi-unit residential areas. ... Bill
to ban smoking at state beaches and parks goes to Schwarzenegger The Senate on Thursday voted 21-13 to send Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that would ban smoking on state-run beaches and parks. State Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, is hopeful the health-conscious Republican governor will sign Senate Bill 4, although he has taken no position. The bill has encountered stiff opposition, including from the state Department of Parks and Recreation, which contends the rules will be difficult to enforce. ... Camarillo
council unanimously approves smoking ordinance Audrey Walzer is in the business of healthy breathing. When her clients at Camarillo Yoga Center come to her shop, Walzer said they try to find respite and relaxation. Walzer ran into some problems, however, when people would use the public restroom in the shopping center to smoke. She said the smoke would travel through wall ducts and sometimes fill her yoga room. “It was affecting my business very adversely,” Walzer said. “The smell was coming in and it was literally permeating the whole room. To have a private student who pays $90 an hour for a lesson say, ‘I can’t be here because of the smoke,’ was the crowning glory. Something had to be done.” The Camarillo City Council listened to Walzer and other residents and
business owners on Wednesday night and voted unanimously to approve
an ordinance that prohibits smoking in most indoor public places and
places of employment. Camarillo’s new smoking ordinance also place
stricter requirements on tobacco retailers and smoking lounges that
might open in the city. ... SM
voters could decide smoking ban expansion Having failed, so far, to convince the City Council to enact a ban on smoking inside apartment units, Rent Control Board Commissioner Robert Kronovet is planning to take his pitch for stricter smoking laws directly to the voters. Kronovet on Tuesday filed papers with the City Clerk's Office declaring his intention to begin gathering signatures needed to place a multi-unit residential smoking ban on the November ballot. The proposed ballot measure, which he's calling the "Safe Air for Everyone Initiative," would ban smoking in virtually all multi-unit residences in Santa Monica and on private patios and balconies in apartment and condo buildings. ... San
Bruno considers smoke laws Plans to open a hookah bar in San Bruno inspired city officials to discuss smoking laws, such as extending smoking bans within all city businesses, tonight. Last month, parking permits needed to open a hookah bar at 591 San Mateo Ave. were approved. While California law does outlaw smoking inside most businesses, there are exceptions for places like a tobacco shop or a smokers’ lounge. Mayor Jim Ruane is not against the hookah bar, however he questioned being asked to support things like cancer awareness while allowing a business to offer smoking on premises for a profit. Tonight the City Council will consider barring smoking inside all new businesses while discussing further regulations approved in other California cities. “It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to be supporting cancer awareness and encouraging smoking at the same time,” said Ruane. San Bruno will hold a public hearing to discuss banning smoking within businesses that sell tobacco, but would not limit the sale of tobacco. Such a change should not impact the previously approved hookah bar, but would affect future businesses. Plans in San Bruno call for a hookah lounge at 591 San Mateo Ave., which previously housed a computer repair store, to feature a small reception area and U-shaped sofas in the lounge area. When it opens, the business is proposed to open at 1 p.m. daily closing at midnight Sunday through Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. There are a number of places within San Mateo County that offer hookah.
Locations in Burlingame, Redwood City and Foster City differ, however,
in that hookah is acceptable outside or on some type of patio at a restaurant.
... Pinole
takes step toward secondhand-smoke protections Restrictions on smoking and secondhand smoke that will go before the Pinole City Council for confirmation later this month would carve out a 20-foot, smoke-free buffer virtually anywhere that nonsmokers congregate, including outdoor seating areas of restaurants and coffee shops. A new smoking ordinance that passed the City Council on a first reading this week also would ban smoking on balconies in multiple-unit complexes situated within 20 feet of other residential units' balconies, windows or ventilation intake ducts, as well as in common areas of apartment complexes, and generally, within 20 feet of residences. It would remove current exemptions allowing bars, bowling alleys, bingo parlors, card rooms and even smoke shops to have designated smoking areas. ... Pleasant
Hill adopts more stringent smoking rules Finding a place to light up a cigarette in Pleasant Hill just got tougher, under new rules the City Council adopted this week. The biggest changes apply to housing with four or more units. Smoking in indoor and outdoor common areas, except those designated for smoking, is now banned. Smoking on private decks, balconies and patios located within 20 feet of a nonsmoking unit, and smoking within 20 feet of a door, operable window or ventilation system, are also prohibited. The new rules also require landlords to designate 50 percent of existing apartment units as permanently nonsmoking by 2016 ... Supes
ban smoking at most county beaches and parks With a unanimous vote and not a single person speaking against it, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors yesterday banned smoking at most county beaches and parks. Environmentalists, public health advocates, school children and the elderly spoke in support of the ban, which according to county documents, will align the county with about 90 percent of Southern California beaches where smoking tobacco is forbidden. “We think this is an issue that’s all about the public’s
right to clean air,” said Brian Trautwein, an environmental analyst
for the Environmental Defense Center, which supports the ban. ... SLO
to ban smoking in public areas Smoking will soon be banned from nearly all areas open to the public in San Luis Obispo, the City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night. Under the new law, which would be effective May 20 after it is given final approval at the council’s April 20 meeting, smoking would be prohibited in indoor and outdoor areas frequented by the public, including sidewalks, parking garages, bars, restaurants, stores, stadiums, playgrounds and transit centers. Lighting up in outdoor areas would be banned in areas that are within 20 feet of indoor areas. ... Supervisors
mull tobacco ban at parks, beaches They’re proposing to get butts off the beach Tuesday at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ meeting. Board members are scheduled to consider a recommendation to ban tobacco use on beaches and parks under the county’s jurisdiction. Majority support would set the formal adoption of the law for April 20. Fairfax
weighs restrictions on apartment smoking Fairfax leaders are considering an ordinance that would allow owners to ban or restrict smoking in apartments. "Second-hand smoke clearly is a public health issue, and it's one that we ignore at our own peril, not only for the long-term health effects, but also because of more direct consequences like fire," said Councilman Larry Bragman, who took part in a town-sponsored forum on the issue Wednesday. "The crux of the issue is weighing the privacy and enjoyment rights of smokers versus the health risks that it creates for nonsmokers - in particular, children." The ordinance, which the council is expected to take up in May, would be based on a similar ordinance Novato passed in 2008. That law, the only one of its kind in Marin County, allows landlords to set aside up to 30 percent of multi-unit dwellings for smokers and declare the rest smoke-free. Tenants who violate the ordinance could be asked to leave by their landlord, or be sued by a fellow tenant in small claims court. Property manager Veronica Del Rio said the ordinance would make it much easier for her to deal with conflicts between tenants. ... SoCo
Considers Smoking Ban In County Parks Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane wants to ban smoking in all 45
county parks. Her proposal would expempt the Sonoma County Fairgrounds
and Spud Point Marina, which have their own smoking restrictions in
place. Zane wants the policy to apply to the county's animal shelter
and Water Agency property as well. The issue could go to the Board in
June. City
Council considers tougher laws aimed at smokers Eye
on DP City Park Smoking Ban Passes Dana Point City Council voted 3-2 in favor of banning smoking in city parks at their March 22 meeting. Councilmembers Lisa Bartlett and Joel Bishop both voted against the ban as they had at the first reading of the proposed ordinance at the March 8 meeting. . . . The new law will take effect on April, 21, 2010--30 days from this final vote. ... Smoking
law: City attorney explains delay Smokers don't have to rush to find an ashtray when they spot a Menlo Park cop. At least, not yet. That's because the city is starting over in revising an ordinance that would greatly restrict smoking within Menlo Park's borders, after city management realized it could have an even broader impact than intended. After the City Council gave preliminary approval to the ordinance at its March 2 meeting, City Attorney Bill McClure said the city realized that the ordinance might have several "unintended consequences." For instance, people could interpret it as restricting smoking on sidewalks and in parking lots outside businesses, raising questions about whether smokers would have anywhere to go for a cigarette break. ... EDITORIAL:
The outdoors, made greater The main reason to support the bill isn't to stop secondhand smoke -- there have to be places in the great outdoors where smokers still retain some freedom -- but to protect the public environment. The state has an obligation to keep its beaches and parks as clean as possible, especially when the litter contains toxic substances. . . . Coastal cities have been ahead of the state in banning smoking on beaches, realizing that it's in their financial interest to keep these areas free of litter and to save money on expensive beach cleaning . . . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the bill, which
he ought to sign enthusiastically ... Ban
on smoking at parks, beaches moves forward Assembly
approves smoking ban at state parks and beaches Last year, Maine adopted a smoke-free law for beaches and parks, but no other state has outlawed cigarettes in its entire park system as California is proposing to do, according to the group Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, which tracks such measures. ... Final
vote set to ban smoking at Dana Point parks The city of Dana Point on Monday will consider banning smoking at city parks, following the lead of other cities in Orange County. ... Calif.
considers smoking ban at all state parks SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Maine banned smoking at its state beaches last year, but groups that track such legislation say no state prohibits lighting up throughout its entire park system, as the California bill proposes. Under a legislative compromise, campsites and parking areas will be exempted from the ban. "It is very clear that the garbage that is created as a result of smoking on beaches - butts and wrappers - are polluting our water," Democratic state Sen. Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach, the bill's author, said in an interview. "In terms of the state park system, we have a major fire hazard when cigarettes are smoked in parks." ... Tougher
Smoking Rules Officially Approved San Francisco supervisors today gave final approval to an ordinance expanding the city's regulations against public smoking. The ordinance, introduced by Supervisor Eric Mar, will ban smoking in outdoor restaurant dining areas and several other locations, and was unanimously approved after a second and final vote by the board this afternoon. A lengthy campaign pushing for the new regulations required several amendments that were concessions to business owners. Mar and anti-tobacco groups have touted the new law as a means to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign it, according to his office. His spokesman Tony Winnicker noted "a collaborative process" in forging the legislation between board members, the mayor and the business community. In addition to outdoor restaurant dining areas, the law will ban smoking in enclosed common areas of multi-unit housing, and at farmers markets, homeless shelters and charity bingo games. It also prohibits smoking in service waiting areas, such as lines for ATMs, concerts, movie theaters, sporting events, taxis and bus stop shelters, and within 15 feet of business doorways. ... Pleasant
Hill Considering Tougher Smoking Laws Pleasant Hill could become the next Bay Area city to have tougher anti-smoking rules. On Monday night, the city council will consider changing the city's smoking regulations. The biggest changes apply to housing with four or more units, where new rules would ban smoking on private decks, balconies and patios within 20 feet of a non-smoking apartment. It would also ban smoking within 20-feet of a door or window. Smoking
ban slow to take in S.D. parks Anybody wanting to know how San Diego’s ban on smoking in public places is doing need only look at the piles of cigarette butts a local group recently picked up in two dozen local parks. “It’s not working,” said Manuel Andrade of Social Advocates for Youth San Diego, staring at bags containing more than 50,000 butts that his group displayed near a playground at Colina del Sol Park in City Heights. While a city official says the ban is cutting down on smoking outdoors, Andrade insists more needs to be done to educate the public about the ordinance and to enforce it particularly at the parks. SAY San Diego, as the group is better known, and hundreds of volunteers collected 42,757 butts in 2008 and 50,347 last year at 24 parks throughout the city. “We know it’s got to be self-enforced, but police need to
give citations. That’s a must-do,” Andrade said ... Calif.
Justices Wonder: Is Walgreens a Grocery Store? In a challenge to a San Francisco law that bans tobacco sales at drug stores, three California appeal court justices on Wednesday looked like they wanted to avoid ruling on Walgreens' constitutional argument that the city is violating equal protection rights. Instead, the First District Court of Appeal panel appeared more interested
in whether a drug store that sells food is really a grocery store that
would be exempt. The local ordinance, which took effect in 2008, bans tobacco sales in San Francisco at drug stores but not at supermarkets or stores like Costco. The city has contended that the sale of tobacco by health-promoting businesses sends a mixed message about cigarettes. ... Glendale
City Council Meeting Wrap-up: 'Shot clock' challenge Smoking regulations The council approved an ordinance that strengthens the city’s regulations, which ban smoking in nearly all publicly accessible places. The ordinance bans smoking on patios and balconies of condominium complexes and apartment buildings. Lighting up in common areas in condo buildings is also prohibited. Smoking is already prohibited on all city property, including parks, outdoor dining areas that can’t meet strict separation requirements and nearly all publicly accessible private property, such as the Marketplace and Americana at Brand. The ordinance also removes a required warning provision for first-time
offenders, which city officials said has made the law hard to enforce.
... S.F.
supervisors vote to get tougher on smoking Smoking soon will be snuffed out at sidewalk cafes, restaurant patios, movie and ATM lines, bingo halls and the common areas of housing complexes. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to extend smoking restrictions to those places, along with lighting up near doorways and windows of offices, shops and restaurants. It already is illegal to smoke in offices and commercial establishments that don't have a legally designated smoking area. "This legislation will protect thousands of San Franciscans from secondhand smoke," said Supervisor Eric Mar, chief sponsor of the legislation. ... Glendale
City Council Meeting Preview SMOKING REGULATIONS The City Council on Tuesday will consider an ordinance that strengthens the city’s current regulations, which ban smoking in nearly all publicly accessible places. The ordinance would ban smoking on patios and balconies of condominium complexes and apartment buildings. Lighting up in common areas in condo buildings would also be prohibited. Smoking is already prohibited on all city property, including parks, outdoor dining areas that can’t meet strict separation requirements and nearly all publicly accessible private property, such as the Marketplace and Americana at Brand. The ordinance would also remove a required warning provision for first-time offenders, which city officials said has made the law hard to enforce. Santa
Clara Considers Anti-Smoking Policies Smoking in unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County could soon be a much tougher proposition, as the Board of Supervisors is considering a number of new anti-smoking policies. One of the proposals is to ban smoking in apartment complexes in unincorporated parts of the county. "These are often old apartment buildings with poor ventilation and a smoker in one apartment ," said Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager. "There smoke would just go right through the vents to people in the adjoining apartments." . . . Yeager said they also want to reduce the number of stores selling tobacco. "Unfortunately, a lot of these liquor stores that sell tobacco
are much denser in low income areas," said Yeager. "I think
there's a real target, not only for youth, but people in our minority
communities, where unfortunately, smoking can be quite high. ... Dana
Point to consider smoking ban at parks On the heels of the results of a community opinion survey in which nearly two-thirds of respondents wanted smoking prohibited in all areas of local parks, the City Council on Monday will consider a law banning the activity there. The city of Dana Point on Monday will consider banning smoking at city parks, following the lead of other cities in Orange County. The last question in the survey of 400 randomly selected registered voters in the city released last month dealt with whether smoking should be banned in parks. Sixty-one percent said they want a ban in all areas of public parks; 20 percent preferred that smoking be allowed only in designated smoking areas; and 17 percent favored allowing people to light up in all areas of public parks. ... Pasadena
to explore possibility of citywide smoking ban On Monday, the council's Public Safety Committee discussed a long-proposed ban on smoking in apartment buildings, and Councilman Steve Haderlein asked the staff to find out whether the city has the legal authority to put a full smoking ban into place. Pasadena passed a ban on outdoor smoking in most public areas in 2008, and at the time pledged to consider the apartment restrictions within the next year. Haderlein, who is the chair of the committee, said he wasn't sure he would support an outright ban, but said he would like to know if it is an option. "Something that broad and dramatic, we'd really have to go to our citizens and see if it is what they wanted," said Haderlein. The discussion on extending the restrictions beyond apartment and condo units stemmed from concerns by committee members that it would be unfair to target smokers there, while ignoring smokers who live in single-family homes. Haderlein noted, for example, that his neighbor is a smoker, and that he can sometimes smell the smoke drifting in through his kitchen window. . . . Nancy Sagetellian, who owns a condo on South Lake Avenue, spoke Monday and said in a later interview that she was evicted from her apartment for complaining about her neighbor's smoking. She said that since she bought a condo, she had hoped to avoid the problem, but she has a smoker living in a unit below her. "I thought as a homeowner I'd have rights, but I haven't been able to find anybody who can help me," said Sagetellian. ... RC
widens smoking ban RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Smoking and waiting in lines do not mix, according
to the City Council, which gave initial approval on Wednesday to an
ordinance that prohibits tobacco use in transit stops and outdoor service
lines. Fabian Villenas of the city manager's office said people waiting in lines are a captive audience. "If you're in line and an individual lights a cigarette, it's difficult to remove yourself from the second-hand smoke," Villenas said. Under the leadership of Mayor Don Kurth, the city has been studying anti-smoking legislation since 2007. In January 2008, the city passed an ordinance that banned smoking at city-owned properties such as public parks, Victoria Gardens Cultural Center and City Hall. Since then, the city manager's office has continued to study further restrictions. The smoking ban at transit stops and service lines is a less stringent measure compared to bans that would affect sidewalks, apartments and outdoor dining areas. More stringent bans were considered but did not receive approval from a City Council majority. Once the ordinance affecting transit stops and service lines goes into effect, violators could face a fine of $100 for first violation, $200 for second violation and $500 for additional violations. ... Smoking
Ordinance Task Force Meets Tomorrow West Hollywood, California (March 4, 2010, 2010) - Directed as a result of objections to a proposal to ban smoking in outdoor nightclub/dining facilities in West Hollywood, the Smoking Ordinance Task Force holds its first – public - meeting this Friday, March 5 from 3-5 pm at Plummer Park, Rooms 5 and 6. ... Menlo
Park introduces beefed-up smoking ordinance Menlo Park residents could face fines of up to $500 for lighting up at apartment complex pools, bus stops or ATM lines after the council agreed to strengthen the city's 17-year-old smoking ordinance Tuesday night. After about two hours of discussion, the city council voted 4-1 to adopt the proposed changes, which bar smoking in most common areas of multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes but stop short of banning the practice on balconies, patios or inside individual units. "This is a huge improvement from where we are today," Council Member Kelly Fergusson said before the vote. "Does it go as far as I'd like to see? Maybe not. I hope in the future there would be room for making it stronger." The council introduced the ordinance Tuesday night, and it will come back for approval in the next month or so, City Attorney Bill McClure said. The proposed law also declares secondhand smoke a private nuisance, thus enabling citizens to take legal action against smokers. ... Supes
Meet New Campos Aide and Put off Votes on Smoking Limits ...A vote on Supervisor Eric Mar’s legislation to prohibit smoking in enclosed and certain unenclosed areas was put off until next week. The types of areas as specified in the ordinance include: “1.)
business establishments and bars regardless of whether owner-operated;
2.) common areas of multi-unit housing complexes; 3.) tourist lodging
facilities; 4.) tobacco shops; 5.) charity bingo games; 6.) unenclosed
dining areas of restaurants; 7.) service waiting areas; 8.) areas outside
entrances, exits and operable windows and vents of all buildings except
at the curb of the nearest street, sidewalk or alley; 9.) farmers markets;
and 10.) vehicles owned by the City and County of San Francisco.”
... Foster
City may ban smoking in parks FOSTER CITY — Lighting up in city parks may soon be frowned upon — though not penalized — if a policy goal of the Parks and Recreation Committee is approved by the City Council. The city last year adopted a no-smoking policy for sports and special events held in city parks. Now, officials propose to go one step further, expanding the program to cover the parks year-round. Kevin Miller, the city's parks and recreation director, said the implementation of last year's no-smoking rule went smoothly and he hasn't received any complaints. Under the policy, the city put up signs indicating smoking was not allowed at youth and adult sports league games and events such as the Arts & Wine Festival and Summer Concert Series. When city employees saw people smoking, they simply asked them to stop, Miller said, and the smokers largely complied. "I think this approach is a good approach," Miller said of the city's voluntary effort. ... Proposed
smoking restrictions watered down A plan to greatly expand smoking restrictions in San Francisco wasn't exactly snuffed out at City Hall this week, but it went from a no-filter proposal to a less-potent menthol version. The proposed legislation that made it out of the Board of Supervisors' Land Use and Economic Development Committee Monday would bar smokers from lighting up at sidewalk cafe tables and in common areas of residential buildings to protect people from the health perils of second-hand smoke. It also would ban smoking in lines for movie theaters, concerts, ATMs and the like. But under pressure from the Small Business Commission and Entertainment
Commission -- promoting the interests of nightclubs, bars, restaurants
and tobacco shops fearful that tougher restrictions could hurt their
bottom line in this tough economy -- the legislation was amended to
give businesses that now allow smoking on their premises in specially
designated areas the ability to continue. ... Stanford
study finds secondhand smoke pervasive in California's Indian casinos Secondhand smoke in California's Native American casinos often exceeds concentrations associated with harmful health effects, according to a new study by environmental engineers at Stanford University. The casinos, which are exempt from the state's smoking restrictions, are one of the few public places in California where smoking is still legal. The study of smoke particle concentrations during busy evenings in 36 casinos across the state found that even many nonsmoking areas within the buildings contained smoke concentrations that were several times that of outdoor air. The paper was published online Feb. 17 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. One-quarter of U.S. adults visited a casino in 2008, according to the 2009 American Gaming Association Survey of Casino Entertainment. Of the almost 60 casinos operating in California, 98 percent allow smoking. "We did this study to warn the public that where they go and what they do in their everyday lives can impact their health," said Lynn Hildemann, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a senior author of the study. "Air pollution affects human health, whether it is secondhand smoke indoors or truck exhaust outdoors. Because many people frequent smoky casinos, and many employees work there, we became interested in finding how high the pollution levels inside the buildings were." ... Whiskeytown
beach smoking ban considered Smoking would be banned on the sandy beaches at Brandy Creek, East Beach, Oak Bottom and Whiskey Creek Group, said Jim Milestone, superintendent at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It would still be OK to light up at picnic tables, parking lots and trails near the beaches. “The idea is to make the air clear and clean, like the water is at Whiskeytown,” Milestone said. A public meeting about the possible ban is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Community Room at Redding City Hall, 777 Cypress Ave. He said the purpose for the ban is twofold to prevent secondhand
smoke and to curb littering. Whiskeytown lifeguards and maintenance
workers often have to clean up after smokers, he said. ... Redding
bans smoking at City Hall Redding will ban smoking at City Hall. The City Council voted 3-2 this evening to adopt a voluntary smoking ban on the Cypress Avenue campus rather than writing the prohibition into the municipal code. That means the ban would lack the teeth of enforcement fines for violators. A smoking ban the council imposed at the Redding Library this past spring does include fines potentially up to $1,000. Council members were reluctant to take such a hard line at City Hall, where smoking hasn't been such a problem. "More and more smokers are becoming conscious of where they are,"
said council member Rick Bosetti, who voted with the majority to impose
a voluntary ban. "I would not want to penalize people for doing
something legal." ... Two
cities to receive recognition for smoke-free policies SANTA CRUZ -- The Santa Cruz County Tobacco Education Coalition will
present an award this week to both the city of Santa Cruz and the city
of Capitola for passing policies that make many outdoor areas smoke-free.
The Capitola City Council voted Dec. 10 to prohibit smoking on the Esplanade, the wharf, city parks and outside city hall. The ban took effect Jan. 1. ... Rancho
Cucamonga restaurant patio smoking ban fails RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Smokers in this city can continue their habit in
restaurant patios and they have a shaky economy to thank. Council members Sam Spagnolo, Dennis Michael and Diane Williams were concerned such restrictions would be too stringent on businesses that rely on sales generated from outdoor patios. Williams said the government should not be the one to decide whether restaurant-goers can smoke in outdoor patios. "I think every restaurant should have a choice, especially in these economic times," Williams said. ... Monterey
Bans Smoking on Rec Trail MONTEREY, Calif- The Monterey City Council unanimously adopted revisions to the current ordinance regulating smoking in public places. The revised ordinance extends the no smoking ban to the Recreation Trail. The current state smoking ban regulates smoking in places of employment, playgrounds, day care facilities, schools and public buildings; a current City ordinance bans smoking on beaches. The ordinance also bans smoking in all enclosed buildings open to the public, other transportation such as taxicabs and buses, outdoor service areas including ATM and ticket lines, covered parking garages and stairwells, any location where the owner declares the area non-smoking, and indoor places of employment not otherwise regulated by state law. The city says that the intent and purpose of prohibiting smoking is
to protect the public health, safety and welfare by reducing the number
of locations where exposure to second-hand smoke can occur. ... Details
of draft Menlo Park smoking ordinance released A draft smoking ordinance under consideration in Menlo Park would ban smoking in common areas of apartment and condominium complexes and deem secondhand smoke a public nuisance, according to a brief outline of the document released Tuesday. City Attorney Bill McClure gave council members at Tuesday night's council meeting an oral description of the ordinance he is still crafting to aid discussion on public outreach for proposed revisions to Menlo Park's current law, last updated in 1993. In addition to the apartment and condominium restrictions, the draft
ordinance would also prohibit smokers from lighting up in public service
areas, such as ATM lines, McClure said. ... Some
renters want Santa Monica to further restrict smoking For years, Mike Horelick and Nicolina Karlsson endured the cigarette smoke wafting into their tiny Santa Monica courtyard apartment from a neighbor's patio, even though it aggravated Karlsson's asthma. But after the couple made several $100 trips to the emergency room because their infant daughter was gasping for air, they pleaded with the neighbor to stop smoking outdoors, to no avail. Now, contending that secondhand smoke poses a health hazard, they have joined other activists who are pushing the city to snuff out smoking on private balconies and patios in multifamily dwellings. It's an effort that puts Santa Monica in sync with a growing number
of other California cities and counties that have hit smokers where
they live. Yet, in the liberal-leaning beach community, the debate takes
on added freight because of the political clout of Santa Monica's tenants
rights advocates, who contend that landlords would welcome an excuse
to evict longtime tenants in rent-controlled units. ... S.F.
considers tightening smoking restrictions A proposal to greatly expand San Francisco's smoking ban won high
praise Monday from health professionals concerned about the dangers
of secondhand smoke, but got a cool response from local bar and nightclub
owners who fear the restrictions would drive away customers. SF
Could Have Tougher Smoking Ban San Francisco Supervisors take the first step toward tightening a smoking ban this afternoon. Supervisor Eric Mar wrote the legislation increasing the smoking ban. "California State Air Resources Board to Stanford University studies have shown that second hand smoke is a serious toxin that causes coronary heart disease, increased asthma and lots of horrible effects," Mar said.Affected areas include theatre and ATM lines, outdoor cafe's, smoke shops, lobbies and farmers' markets as well as bars no matter whether they're owner-operated or not. ... Smoking
ban plan has mixed support Residents in 70 apartment buildings throughout unincorporated Santa Clara County will not be allowed to light up in their homes under Supervisor Ken Yeager's proposal this week to ban cigarette smoking in apartment complexes. But the idea, while cheered by clean air advocates and all but one of his fellow supervisors, is being met with dismay by apartment owners and managers, not to mention many smokers whose last refuge to smoke may now become off-limits. Patty Delong, who puffs a half-pack a day, assumes her fellow smokers won't like the proposal. "They're going to think the government is in their business, which it is," she said. She, however, supports the idea. "I think that's great. Maybe now I'll be forced to quit," said Delong, 55, who has been smoking since she was 16. She lives in an apartment in San Jose's Burbank area that would fall under a smoking ban. ... City
Council votes park smoking ban into law Santa
Clara County wants to ban smoking in apartment buildings Santa Clara County took aim Tuesday at smokers and drinkers, with proposals to ban smoking in apartment buildings and toughen penalties for those who provide alcohol to minors. The smoking proposal was unveiled by Supervisor Ken Yeager, who was sworn in as the board's new president. It echoes a controversial law passed last year by Belmont, which garnered national headlines. Earlier Tuesday, the board of supervisors unanimously approved changes to a county ordinance that punishes anyone who gives alcohol to underage drinkers — or even unwittingly hosts drunken teen bashes — with harsher penalties, including a fine for the first offense. But to the great relief of Stanford University officials, the ordinance will not hold the school responsible for students who drink on campus, subject to an annual review by the county. ... New
tobacco pitch seeks sales ban near schools SAN FRANCISCO — The latest plan to vastly reduce cigarette vendors in San Francisco would prohibit the hawking of tobacco products within 1,000 feet of schools, where more than half The City’s sellers currently operate. Mayor Gavin Newsom is set to introduce legislation Tuesday calling for a ban on new tobacco permits for vendors who want to set up shop near public and private grammar and high schools. Of the 1,008 shops currently selling tobacco products in The City,
617 operate within the proposed 1,000-foot prohibition zone, according
to data provided by the Mayor’s Office. ... L.A.
council extends smoking ban to outdoor cafes With the move, city officials are following the lead of municipalities across California, including Burbank, Beverly Hills, Calabasas and Santa Monica, which already ban smoking in outdoor dining areas. California law bars smoking inside restaurants and bars. The ordinance prohibits smoking within 10 feet of outdoor dining areas and within 40 feet of mobile food trucks. ... Monterey's
new smoking rules now in line with state Tuesday, the Monterey City Council unanimously approved an updated ordinance regulating smoking in public places. The changes were intended to bring city law into line with state law. The state prohibits smoking in places of employment, playgrounds, day care facilities, schools and public buildings, City Attorney Deborah Mall said. In addition to these areas, the city ordinance prohibits smoking on the Monterey Recreational Trail, beaches, enclosed buildings open to the public ... San
Gabriel to draft ordinance regulating tobacco use SAN GABRIEL - The City Council Tuesday voted unanimously to draft an ordinance banning smoking in city parks and requiring tobacco retailers to renew licenses every year. According to San Gabriel Mayor Juli Costanzo, the language for both ordinances is being worked out by the city attorney and city manager and will likely be voted on at the next city council meeting. Costanzo cited a study conducted by community organizers and San Gabrielino High School students showing that 32 percent of city retailers sold tobacco to minors. "We just think this is a measure that we need to take to ensure the health and safety of minors," she said. Costanzo said the ordinances may be similar to those passed by the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre. "They had drafted a very-well-put-together ordinance, so it's something we may take a look at and add to it or take away from it depending on what our needs are," Costanzo said of Pasadena's ordinance. The regulations prohibit smoking in public parks, outdoor restaurant areas, in ATM lines or 20 feet from any building. ... LA
City Council to consider smoking ban at outdoor cafes The Los Angeles City Council is expected today to consider a ban on smoking in the city’s outdoor cafes. The proposed ordinance would prohibit smoking within 10 feet of outdoor restaurant patios and gardens, and within 40 feet of a mobile food truck. Smoking is already banned at city beaches, parks and within 25 feet
of playgrounds, bleachers, sports fields and picnic areas. The proposed
ordinance on outdoor dining areas, which was sponsored by Councilman
Greig Smith, would take effect after a one-year grace period in which
restaurants would be required to post signs informing customers of the
new law. ... What
About Granting Outdoor Smoking Licenses? West Hollywood, California (January 18, 2010) – As the debate
rages over West Hollywood’s proposed outdoor smoking ban ordinance,
it’s clear that few topics (with the exception of abortion) are
as divisive as public smoking. ... Council
approves smoking, butts ban at city parks and trails Smokers will need to take their butts to the sidewalks and streets soon in Nevada City, and then throw them away.. The City Council voted 4-1 Wednesday to add an amendment to a proposed ordinance banning smoking in city parks and on city-owned trails. Favoring a designated smoking area within the parks, Councilwoman Barbara
Coffman cast the lone dissenting vote. ... State
sues electronic cigarettes retailer They look and may even taste like cigarettes, and their manufacturer claims they are a safe, tar-free alternative to the cancer-causing real thing. But California Attorney General Jerry Brown says that electronic cigarettes - also known as e-cigarettes - contain dangerous chemicals and are being inappropriately marketed to children, and that their makers have no evidence to support claims that the product is safe. On Wednesday, the state's top cop filed suit in Alameda Superior Court accusing Smoking Everywhere, one of the largest e-cigarette retailers in the United States, of violating a number of state laws by making misleading statements, failing to warn consumers of the product's potential harm and engaging in unfair business practices. A similar suit was filed against the same company by Oregon's attorney general last year. Brown wants the court to prohibit Smoking Everywhere from selling its product in California until the company produces evidence that e-cigarettes are safe. ... SF
Could Improve its Anti-Smoking 'Test Score' -- By Forbidding You To
Smoke ... Earlier this week, the American Lung Association released its annual "Tobacco Policy Report Card," grading cities on how effectively they limit smoking. The city of Richmond -- which is cursed with a reputation as a great place to have a cigarette shot out of one's mouth -- turned around its F grade last year and got an A. San Francisco, meanwhile, got a C. Obviously, that leaves lots of room for improvement -- and San Francisco
is a city that bristles at the description "average." And
yet, improvement may only come via giving the government the ability
to intrude in your life to a degree many might feel is downright creepy.
... Lung
association: Contra Costa cities should follow Richmond's anti-tobacco
lead While most Contra Costa cities received failing or near-failing marks for efforts to curtail and control tobacco use in 2009, the American Lung Association of California on Tuesday lauded an exception. The association chose Richmond City Hall to release its annual State of Tobacco Control report card because new tobacco-focused ordinances took the city from an F in 2008 to an A in 2009. Richmond "is not only a leader in the state, but a leader in the nation," said Jane Warner, president and CEO of the American Lung Association of California. The association and the city worked together on several ordinances during the past year that restrict tobacco use in outdoor areas, impose fees on sellers, and place limits on tobacco sales and displays. However, the city's smoking ban in all multiunit housing drew the highest praise. . . . In Contra Costa, 12 of 19 cities received an overall grade of F, and five earned a D. Richmond received the only A; Martinez and the county's unincorporated ... Brown
Sues Electronic Cigarette Maker for Targeting Minors and Misleading
Advertising Claims Oakland-Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today sued Florida-based electronic-cigarette retailer Smoking Everywhere to prevent the company from targeting minors and making "misleading and irresponsible" claims that electronic cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking. "Smoking Everywhere launched a misleading and irresponsible advertising campaign targeting minors and claiming that electronic cigarettes do not contain harmful chemicals," Brown said. "We are asking the Court to take these cigarettes off the market until the company has proven the products are safe." Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are battery-operated devices with nicotine cartridges designed to look and feel like conventional cigarettes. Instead of actual smoke, e-cigarettes produce a vapor from the nicotine cartridge that is inhaled by the user. Smoking Everywhere, one of the largest e-cigarette retailers in the United States, claims in its advertisements that the e-cigarettes have no carcinogens, no tar, no second-hand smoke, and are therefore safe and healthy. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that electronic cigarettes contain a variety of dangerous chemicals, including nicotine, carcinogens such as nitrosamines and, in at least one case, diethylene glycol, commonly known as antifreeze. Today's lawsuit seeks to prevent the company from selling its products until there is evidence to substantiate its claims that they are safe. The lawsuit will also require the products to display the state-mandated Proposition 65 warnings of ingredients known to cause cancer or reproductive harm and seeks to prevent the company from making false and misleading claims and promoting the products to minors. In one advertisement targeted to minors, Smoking Everywhere featured a video with radio show host Howard Stern claiming, "kids love ‘em." The products feature flavors that appeal to youth, including strawberry, chocolate, mint, banana and cookies-and-cream. ... S.F.'s
20-cent cigarette fee headed to court? In what has become a familiar scenario, Philip Morris USA has filed a complaint in San Francisco Superior Court over the city's new 20-cent fee tacked onto packs of cigarettes. The move probably foreshadows a lawsuit - the second time in 18 months the tobacco giant will have sued San Francisco over its cutting-edge cigarette policies. The company said the city's first-of-its-kind ban on cigarette sales in drug stores including Walgreens violated its constitutional rights to advertise its products, but its claim was rejected in court. Now, Philip Morris and some local retailers say the city's 20-cent charge on cigarette packs, the brainchild of Mayor Gavin Newsom that was implemented Oct. 1, violates state law because voters didn't approve it. The city argues that because it's a fee, rather than a tax, voter approval isn't required. Newsom said the city completed an extensive study showing that it costs
San Francisco $7.5 million every year to clean up cigarette butts tossed
onto city streets and that smokers should be the ones picking up the
tab. Philip
Morris targets S.F.'s cigarette fee No butts about it: Philip Morris doesn't like San Francisco tobacco
policies In what has become a familiar scenario, Philip Morris USA has filed
a complaint in San Francisco Superior Court over the city's new 20-cent
fee tacked onto packs of cigarettes. The move likely foreshadows a lawsuit - the second time in 18 months
the tobacco giant will have sued San Francisco over its cutting-edge
cigarette policies. The company said the city's first-of-its-kind ban
on cigarette sales in drug stores including Walgreens violated its constitutional
rights to advertise its products, but its claim was rejected in court. Now, Philip Morris and some local retailers say the city's 20-cent charge on cigarette packs, the brainchild of Mayor Gavin Newsom that was implemented Oct. 1, violates state law because voters didn't approve it. The city argues that since it's a fee, rather than a tax, voter approval isn't required. ... Newsom:
Big tobacco likely to lose latest challenge Mayor Gavin Newsom anticipates little trouble stamping out big tobacco's
latest legal challenge against San Francisco policies. Tobacco
Control Report Card for California to Be Released Lawsuit
pending regarding cig fee Philip Morris USA and several local retailers recently filed a complaint
in San Francisco Superior Court accusing The City of violating state
law when it imposed a 20-cent charge on packs of cigarettes on Oct.
1 without approval from voters. The main point of contention is whether the added charge to cigarette
packs should have been implemented as a tax or a regulatory fee. SF
Launches New Anti-Smoking Campaign SAN FRANCISCO -- Starting Tuesday, posters dotting city bus shelters and intersections will urge San Francisco smokers to "make today the day" they quit the cigarette habit. That slogan, emblazoned on a bright red and white poster, is popping
up at 42 poster boards and transit sites across San Francisco, city
and health officials announced this morning. The campaign to encourage
residents to kick the habit is a partnership between the American Lung
Association in California, Healthy San Francisco and the city's Department
of Public Health ... San
Francisco may expand smoking ban San Francisco, which was at the vanguard of the anti-smoking movement more than a decade ago when it became one of the first American cities to bar people from lighting up in the workplace, now is poised to enact much tougher restrictions on smoking in public places. Smokers no longer would be allowed to puff away near the doors, vents and operable windows of any building - restaurants, shops, offices and housing complexes. Diners no longer would be able to smoke at outdoor tables. Smoking would be banned from farmers' markets, lines for movie theaters, concerts and sporting events, near ATMs and cab stands. The smoking ban in and near transit stops would be expanded. ... Smoking
ban moves forward As The Examiner reported in November, Supervisor Eric Mar reignited
the stalled legislation that would forbid smoking in a slew of new settings,
adding to existing bans in bars, restaurants, parks, transit stops and
taxis. Officers
average a ticket a day during first weeks of Santa Cruz... SANTA CRUZ -- The air on Pacific Avenue was crisp after Friday's morning rain when three people lit up cigarettes not far from the Bonny Doon Flower Company kiosk. As they got their nicotine fix, the trio said they didn't know smoking has been banned on downtown's main drag for nearly three months. Although officers started citing smokers Nov. 23 and are averaging one $20 ticket a day, police still are giving out warnings and have made hundreds of "educational contacts" since the City Council adopted the no-smoking ordinance for Pacific Avenue, the Municipal Wharf and Main Beach areas in late September, according to police spokesman Zach Friend. ... Courthouse
square facing rules, fees No specific incidents spurred the proposal, said city spokesman Malcolm Smith, but there have been complaints over the last season about “user behaviors.” An ordinance establishing user guidelines has always been in the works since the square opened, he added. “Our goal has been — and continues to be — to provide a fun, safe, clean place for all to enjoy. We think such an ordinance will help accomplish this,” Smith said. If passed, the ordinance will prohibit specific activities including
smoking, biking, skateboarding, bathing, littering, camping and sleeping
between midnight and dawn. The only exceptions to non-motorized vehicles
will be wheelchairs, adaptive aides and strollers. ... Smoking
ban at beaches and parks inches forward Smoking
ban advocates stay committed How
to dish out grant money in Nevada City Council
gives preliminary OK to smoking lounge regulations Supes
could seek smoking ban at beaches, parks A week after permanently banning alcohol from beaches in Isla Vista, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors today will consider adding smoking to its list of prohibited activities at county beaches and parks. According to an agenda letter prepared for the meeting, Santa Barbara County is among the last jurisdictions with beachfront property in Southern California to lack such a ban. The agenda letter says a ban would help protect public safety by reducing second-hand smoke and greatly reduce litter. It says cigarette butts are the No. 1 source of litter found during coastal clean-ups. “I believe that there should be a ban on smoking,” said 2nd
District Supervisor Janet Wolf, who had the item placed on the Board’s
agenda. ... Ordinance
impacts still hazy SLO considers extending downtown smoking ban
A new city ordinance that could expand San Luis Obispo’s smoking ban to most public outdoor spaces has raised concerns among some business owners that it could negatively affect their bottom lines. Currently, San Luis Obispo prohibits smoking inside bars, restaurants, and all government and public facilities. The city made headlines in 1990 when it became the first city in the world to institute such a ban — and now it may go further. On Dec. 1, the City Council discussed a proposal brought forth by the Parks and Recreation Commission to ban the use of tobacco from city-owned recreation areas, including Mission Plaza and its adjacent creek walk, and included a strong recommendation to consider banning smoking in other public areas such as downtown sidewalks. ... SLO
city cracks down on smoking - again The San Luis Obispo City Council on Dec. 1 unanimously approved an amendment to the city's municipal code to ban all forms of tobacco products from city-owned outdoor recreation areas, such as Mitchell Park, Mission Plaza, and its adjacent creekwalk. Council members not only agreed with the recommendation but also decided to go a step further, instructing the city manager and staffers to come back with language for a more comprehensive proposal within three months. They said this upcoming proposal would ban tobacco in other areas, including "pedestrian-oriented" sidewalks, shopping centers, outside of commercial businesses, and at public events such as Farmers Market. . . . On the proposed upcoming ban, Mayor Dave Romero said that while he agrees people walking down public sidewalks shouldn't have to make their way through a cloud of smoke, he didn't want a ban to "go into people's backyards." Roughly 80 people attended the meeting, and 16 spoke during the public forum, most not only in favor of the current recommendation, but also the citywide public ban. ... Editorial:
Smoking ban an important step to take San Luis Obispo made history when it became the first city in the nation to outlaw indoor smoking in public places -- and it should forever be proud of helping to alert the nation to the dangers of second-hand smoke. Tonight, the City Council has another opportunity to protect public health. It will consider banning smoking at several outdoor venues, including city parks, sports facilities, trails and open spaces, as well as Mission Plaza and the downtown creek. The city won't be breaking ground this time -- several other jurisdictions have adopted similar bans -- but it's nonetheless an important step and one the City Council should not hesitate to take. . . . We urge the city to adopt the ban on smoking in public recreation areas and to set a time to revisit the issue -- say, one year from now -- to consider extending it to downtown sidewalks and benches too. Smokers may see this as yet another punitive measure aimed at curtailing their legal right to light up. It's not. We don't believe that smokers should be treated as pariahs. But we also don't believe they have the right to jeopardize the health of others. San
Luis Obispo to weigh ban on smoking in parks The San Luis Obispo City Council on Tuesday will consider cracking down on smokers in local parks, 19 years after it was the first city in the nation to ban indoor smoking in public places. Specifically, the council will hear a staff recommendation to ban smoking in Mission Plaza, the downtown creek area and the city’s parks. The restriction could also apply to the city’s open-space reserves at its edges — also known as the greenbelt. ... Capitola's
Proposed Smoking Ban Could Lead Nation When the statewide smoking ban took effect in 1999, Capitola's cigarette and cigar puffers were driven outdoors. But soon the outdoors -- or at least much of it -- may no longer be an option. A proposal put forth by Capitola Councilman Dennis Norton would ban smoking on the Esplanade, the wharf, at city parks, the library, City Hall and the Stockton Avenue Bridge. Beyond that, Norton also hinted at the possibility of a citywide ban in 2010 that would apply to all public outdoor spaces. Citing concerns about secondhand smoke and piles of cigarette butt litter, Norton says it's time to take action. ... Get
tough on smoking ban, residents say GLENDALE — When resident Stephen Brown learned last year that the city had enacted citywide smoking restrictions, he looked forward to sitting outside at his favorite coffee shop and breathing in the fresh air. “For the past year I have been looking forward to the day when the patio will be smoke-free so that I may enjoy the outdoors. That day has not yet arrived,” he said. The city’s smoking restrictions took effect last November with an emphasis on public education before the officials started hard enforcement. A year later, just 15 citations have been issued, according to the city attorney’s office. A year after Burbank enacted its own set of less restrictive smoking restrictions, more than 500 citations had been given out, albeit without a warning period. Under Glendale’s restrictions, smoking is prohibited on all city
property, including parks, in common areas of apartment complexes, outdoor
dining areas that can’t meet strict separation requirements and
nearly all publicly accessible private property, such as the Marketplace
and Americana at Brand. ... Menifee
won't adopt anti-smoking ordinance The Menifee City Council has decided to rely on state anti-smoking laws rather than craft its own ordinance. Councilman Scott Mann said that the city should not change the status quo until it hears from citizens that it's not working. The council then voted unanimously Tuesday night to simply enforce the state's tobacco regulations. ... No
sanctuaries left for smokers at two Marin hospitals Two Marin hospitals have chosen Thursday, the date of the 34th Great
American Smokeout, as the day to initiate a total ban on smoking on
their campuses. To demonstrate that it means business, Novato Community Hospital on Wednesday removed its last refuge for employees and hospital visitors who smoked, a three-sided structure affectionately known as the "smoking shack." ... Council
approves smoking lounge regulations: Some of the new regulations ...
Nov. 18--LONG BEACH -- For years, smoking lounges operated illegally in Long Beach until the City Council legalized them in February. Now, it's the city that may be on the wrong side of the law after the council Tuesday approved the creation of smoking lounge regulations that don't all comply with state code. Going into the meeting, the council had two main options before it: to approve smoking lounge regulations as they had been written by city staff, or to approve the regulations with several additions from the council's Economic Development and Finance Committee. The problem was that some of the committee recommendations were flat
out illegal, according to Deputy City Attorney Linda Trang. She had
told the committee as much last week, but it still approved the recommendation
on a split vote. ... Nevada
City council to review smoking ban, solar farm Nevada City council members will review wording for ordinances banning medical marijuana dispensaries and smoking in parks at a meeting today. Smoking in parks was banned for a six-month trial period after council approval in 2007. A new ordinance would make the ban permanent. A separate ordinance will ban medical marijuana dispensaries within
city limits. The council voted the dispensaries down in September and
will review a draft of the ordinance at the meeting. ... Santa
Fe Springs considers smoking ban at parks SANTA FE SPRINGS - The City Council may go cold turkey with a smoking ban at its six parks. But not all are on board with the proposed ban as written. "It needs some tweaking," Councilman Joe Serrano said. "I have never been a smoker, and I despise smoking," he said. "But I am concerned about taking away people's rights." Serrano and Councilwoman Betty Putnam also wondered how the ordinance would be implemented. "I'm not sure we have the staff to enforce it," Putnam said.
... San
Bernardino Council: Don't light up in city parks SAN BERNARDINO - Smokers just can't catch a break. Lighting up can earn smokers a $100 fine after the first offense. Those who get caught smoking again in the same year can expect to see the penalty to escalate to $200, then $500. A fourth offense in one year makes smoking a misdemeanor, which means the unlawful use of a cigarette, cigar or pipe can be punishable by one year in jail or a $1,000 fine. ... San
Marcos' Smoke Signals "Behavior modification takes time," said a San Marcos city employee during a November 11 city council meeting. The behavior they would like to modify is to prevent smokers from lighting up in nondesignated areas and flicking their butts in city parks. In 2008, San Marcos city councilmembers tried to do just that when they approved an ordinance banning smoking on park trails as well as establishing designated areas where smokers could spark up. So far, local health organizations and some councilmembers say the ordinance has been a success. Proof of that success took place at Woodland Park one Saturday afternoon in August. That day, volunteers searched the park for cigarette butts, finding a total of 74 butts tossed in planters, on sidewalks, parking lots, and on the grassy hills. A small number considering a similar event two years earlier, when volunteers collected 926 butts at the same location. And while some claim the decrease is proof the ordinance is working, councilmember Chris Orlando isn't convinced. Orlando believes modifying the behavior is taking too much time. Instead of focusing on modifying the behavior, Orlando would like to modify the ordinance by removing the designated areas and turning the entire park, as well as a hundred-foot area surrounding it, into a smoke-free zone. ... Smoking
lounge rules on Long Beach Council agenda Smoke 'em if you got 'em - but only with a ventilation system and not if you're serving any food or beverages - may become Long Beach's new policy for the city's recently legalized smoking lounges. Oh, and don't invite any of your friends - we're happy with the eight cigar lounges and four hookah bars that we have now, thank you - might also be added to the policy. That last caveat could become the biggest challenge as the City Council tackles how to regulate smoking lounges Tuesday. The council's Economic Development and Finance Committee voted to recommend new smoking lounge regulations last week, but committee members were concerned about a proliferation of new lounges. City attorneys and city staff said the city has limited legal right to restrict the number of lounges. "Once we open this up, I think that there is the potential for other legitimate businesses to qualify under the regulations, and I think that is a consideration the council has to weigh," Director of Health and Human Services Ron Arias told the committee Wednesday. ... Palm
Desert City Council passes smoking restrictions The Palm Desert City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to approve new restrictions on public smoking aimed at cutting down secondhand smoke in the city. The measure most likely will not take effect until the new year, as it was the plan's first reading and the second reading and final vote is not likely until December. Nevertheless, Thursday's 5-0 vote means all buildings and businesses in Palm Desert will have to keep smokers at least 20 feet from their main entrances. ... AUDIO:
California's Adult Smoking Rate Bucks National Trend The Centers for Disease Control says 20.6 percent of American adults smoke. The adult smoking rate in California is only 14 percent. That's the second lowest percentage of any state in the country. Paul Knepprath is with the American Lung Association. He says California needs to raise the tobacco tax if it wants to continue making progress. ... New
smoking lounge rules raise questions for council committee LONG BEACH - Figuring out a way to allow existing smoking lounges to continue in Long Beach yet prevent more from opening is easier said than done, a City Council panel learned Wednesday afternoon. The three-member Economic Development and Finance Committee got a first look at new regulations for smoking lounges, which the council voted to legalize in February, 15 years after Long Beach's groundbreaking ban on smoking in public places and workplaces went into effect. The full council will consider the lounge regulations next Tuesday. The committee voted 2-1, with Councilwoman Rae Gabelich opposed, to recommend that the council approve the proposed regulations with a few changes, but was forced to stop short of implementing controls to prevent new smoking lounges from opening. ... Palm
Desert looking at new outdoor smoking rules The City Council is expected to vote on an update of the city's smoking ordinance that will require smokers to move 20 feet away from buildings' and businesses primary entrance so nonsmokers entering or exiting the premises are not confronted with a small cloud of secondhand smoke. Other changes in the law include: -- Restaurants or bars that allow smoking on their patios will have to make sure their smoking areas are not within 20 feet of the business's primary entrance. ... Tenants
demand tougher anti-smoking laws "We shut the doors, we shut the windows, which is pretty inconvenient
and not guaranteed to stop all the smoke anyway," he said. SRJC
smokers pushed off campus Tobacco smokers at Santa Rosa Junior College are becoming increasingly marginalized — literally — with a strict new policy that has pushed them past the edges of the campus. To overcome complaints about droves of smokers puffing away on the border of the smoke-free campus, the school has instituted a policy prohibiting smoking within a minimum of 20 feet from the college property, including sidewalks.“We used to be able to smoke by the library,” said Aaron Carpenter, 20, as he took a smoking break from his English class Monday afternoon. “They pushed us back. Eventually, they'll kick us down all the way to the freeway.” “There should be a designated smoking area,” said his classmate Matthew Bandy, 22, echoing the suggestion of other smokers who said they are exiled to an adjacent residential neighborhood if they want to grab a quick smoke. Not only have the places disappeared where students can smoke, campus police are about to be granted the authority to issue citations for smoking infractions. The tickets are backed by fines that start at $100 for the first offense, increase to $250 for the second, and $500 for a third offense. Santa Rosa City Council members this afternoon are poised to pass a resolution that allows Junior College police to enforce the city ordinance prohibiting smoking around workplaces and public places, within a 20-foot radius. ... The
Smoker's Tour Of Santa Cruz The Smoker's Tour begins just a few blocks from downtown, not far from a place where books get decapitated. "Absolutely no smoking" reads the sign above the parlor, but this has clearly been nothing more than a joke for several decades. With its crimson walls and year-round Halloween decorations tucked in a ceiling corner, this is a relaxing place to chat and an important stop on any smoker's bar crawl. Check for performances by local blues acts; the intimate concerts are a blast. When the clock tower chimes, the smoker will want to hurry in to check out this next stop, which is ranked by local experts as a quality dive. The jukebox, like the patrons, is caught between a few decades, but despite the melting pot of tastes there's always a warm atmosphere and a line for the lone pool table. The drinks are fairly priced, and they mix a mean White Russian. The night tour continues by ambling back toward the main drag, and close to 10:10pm the tourist will find a radical stimulus in the next stop, better known for its musical performances. If you ask for an ashtray at the bar upstairs, you'll be promptly told no and given one. ... Push
to limit smoking rekindled The controversial legislation -- first introduced by Supervisor Chris Daly last year and now being pushed by Supervisor Eric Mar -- would forbid smoking in a slew of new settings, adding to existing bans in bars, restaurants, parks, transit stops and taxicabs. The bill would expand no-smoking zones to include farmers markets and the outdoor seating areas of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops. Smoking would also be prohibited while waiting in lines at ATMs, theaters, athletic events and concert venues. Apartment buildings and other multiunit residences would also have new areas with no-smoking signs. Smoking would be prohibited in common areas of apartment buildings, including hallways, elevators, parking lots, lobbies, waiting areas, bathrooms, laundry facilities and recreation areas. ... Smoking
lounges on Long Beach council agenda again In March, the council instituted a yearlong moratorium on new cigar and hookah lounges so that city staff could refine regulations for the businesses. City health officials and attorneys say they are expecting to have the new ordinance ready this month, but a local smoking opponent is concerned that Uranga's committee meeting may circumvent the health officials' considerations. Melinda Cotton, of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free Long Beach, said Monday that Uranga's request to have the Economic Development and Finance Committee, of which Uranga is a member, take on the issue appears to be "a total end run" around the Department of Health and Human Services. Uranga calls for the smoking lounge exemptions to go before the committee "for discussion and formulating a recommendation to the City Council," according to the meeting agenda. "What this appears to do is to put this totally in the hands of the Economic Development and Finance Committee," Cotton said. Uranga said Monday that isn't the case. ... |
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Industry Documents |
California
Initiative 1/12/94 Bates Range: 2022839335 This document outlines steps Philip Morris (PM) planned to take to wipe out local clean indoor air ordinances in California. In addition to outlining steps to promote the Prop 188 statewide ballot initiative (the so-called Philip Morris Initiative that would have preempted local ordinances), the memo also outlines PM's local strategies to derail ordinances. |