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2009 State of Tobacco Control Report
The American Lung Association released the 2009 State of Tobacco Control (SOTC) Report that grades all 50 states and the District of Columbia on four key tobacco control areas: (1) Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending; (2) Smokefree Air; (3) Cigarette Tax; and (4) Cessation Coverage.
Below are the grades for California:
Tobacco Prevention and Control Spending: F
Smokefree Air: A
Cigarette Tax: D
Cessation Coverage: D
In conjunction with this national report, the American Lung Association in California released the 2009 SOTC California Local Grades Report that includes grades for cities and counties in California. Local grades were issued for 373 cities and 34 counties, more than 75 percent of the local jurisdictions in the state. These grades are based on standardized statewide criteria and were awarded in three categories: (1) Smokefree Outdoor Air; (2) Smokefree Housing; and (3) Reducing Sales of Tobacco Products. These three grades were then averaged for one Overall Tobacco Control Grade. The purpose of the SOTC Local Grades Report is to increase public knowledge about local laws that help protect residents from the deadly toll of tobacco and to encourage local leadership where improvement is needed.
To view the full reports, including national, state and local grades, please visit www.californialung.org/raisethegrade. The SOTC Local Grades Report includes the local grade details for cities and counties in California, the local grade criteria, an executive summary and a table showing the grades for the top ten most populous cities. In addition, attached is a 2009 State of Tobacco Control Q&A that provides further background information about the report, the grading criteria and why certain cities and counties did not receive grades.
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Two Marin Hospitals Set to Begin Smoking Ban
By Richard Halstead
Marin Independent Journal, Published November 19, 2009
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.
It has been years since anyone was allowed to smoke inside either Novato Community Hospital or Kentfield Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital. Beginning Thursday,those two hospitals will begin enforcing a campus-wide ban on smoking that will include property inside and outside buildings, including parking lots and vehicles in parking lots. State law banned smoking from all workplaces in 1995.
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."
"We're putting signs throughout the campus so everyone knows what is happening, and if people are smoking we're nicely going to ask them not to smoke," said Mary Strebig, a spokeswoman for Novato Community Hospital.
Strebig estimated that only about a dozen of the hospital's employees smoke. To help them make the transition, the hospital planned a seminar Thursday with smoking cessation experts.
"We're going to make this as painless as possible," strebig said.
Chris Yarnovich, a spokesman for the Kentfield hospital, said special assistance is also being provided there to help people kick the habit.
Marin General Hospital is now the only hospital in the county that continues to allow smoking in outside areas. Kaiser Permanente campuses adopted smoke-free policies statewide more than a year ago.
Kathie Graham, a spokeswoman for Marin General Hospital, said that while the hospital supports smoking cessation, efforts and provides help to employees who want to quit smoking, it has chosen to focus its efforts elsewhere.
""We just finished a major renovation on the fifth floor, converting from double rooms to single rooms," Graham said. "That took a big effort on the part of many, many departments at the hospital."
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Contact richard Halstead via e-mail at rhalstead@marinij.com.
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Novato Advance, Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1:19 PM PST
Starting Thursday, smoking will be forbidden on the campus of the Novato Community Hospital.
The hospital timed its smoking ban to coincide with the day of the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout.
The ban applies to the hospital’s entire campus, which includes two office buildings near the hospital itself.
“When you drive across the bridge, you’ve entered a smoke-free (zone),” said hospital spokeswoman Mary Strebig. Smoking will even be forbidden inside vehicles.
The idea to snuff out smoking at the hospital came from Chief Administrative Officer Anne Hosfeld. Smoke-free hospitals are a growing trend, Strebig said. It’s something that’s recommended by the commission that accredits hospitals, she said.
“We don’t see doctors smoking anymore. We have very few employees who smoke,” Strebig said.
A former bus shelter used as a "smoking hut" in the hospital’s north parking lot is being dismantled and given to a contractor who will use it as an aviary.
– Staff Report
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Speaker explores smoking limits
By TCT Staff
Twin City Times, Published: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 12:26 PM PDT
The Corte Madera Women’s Club will host a potluck lunch followed by speaker on October 13, at the Rec Center, 498 Tamalpais Drive. Lunch begins at noon, and guests are asked to bring something to share. Drinks, utensils, plates, etc. are provided by the club, and RSVPs are requested by going to 2ndTuesday@CMWomensClub.org, or calling 927-9462.
The speakers on the 13th will be Jennie Cook and Elizabeth Emerson, talking about the benefits to public health of public limits on smoking.
Cook, past chairman of the national board of the American Cancer Society, is the chair of the Marin Smoke Free Coalition. She has been a resident of Marin for 45 years and a cancer survivor since 1965. Her involvement during this time period includes tobacco control and advocacy at the local, state, national and international levels. Emerson has been working in Marin County’s Tobacco Related Disease Control Program for 19 years. She is also a Marin resident and responsible for most if not all of the actions to make Marin smoke-free.
In Marin, the county and the cities of Novato and Ross have expanded restrictions on smoking to include multihousing units. Novato’s is one of the strongest in the state and has met with unqualified success, according to Cook. Public officials hear from residents of multifamily dwellings that their lives are meaningfully improved by the elimination of second-hand smoke from their balconies and common areas. In some cases, this has even eliminated the problem of second-hand smoke entering their dwelling units through common heating or ventilation ducts.
It’s not uncommon for an elected official to hear from citizens in the community asking for help — employees leave a restaurant, for example, to take a smoke break, and end up polluting the common area of a business next door. Current regulations in our area curtail smoking within a business, but allow it around doorways and outdoor eating areas. Some jurisdictions provide a 20-foot minimum distance to an adjacent doorway where smoking is restricted.
The Marin Smoke Free Coalition would like to see all jurisdictions within Marin County expand their public health regulations to protect adjacent businesses and adjacent living units from second-hand-smoke pollution.
Cook and Emerson will describe the rationale for businesses and local governments to subscribe to greater restrictions on smoking. They will provide information on what apartment owners and shopping center management have found after additional protections have been employed. There will be opportunity for Q&A.
RSVP at 2ndTuesday@CMWomensClub.org, or call 927-9462.
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Obama Signs Anti-Smoking Bill
Into Law
In a move hailed by anti-smoking advocates as a major victory in the fight to reduce tobacco-related fatalities, President Obama on Monday signed into law legislation giving the U.S. government broad powers to regulate tobacco products.
"Each day, 1,000 young people under the age of 18 become new regular, daily smokers, and almost 90 percent of all smokers began at or before their 18th birthday," Mr. Obama said before signing the legislation. "I know; I was one of these teenagers. And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."
The bill puts tobacco under the authority of the Food And Drug Administration, which will now regulate tobacco as a drug. A new entity within the FDA – the Center for Tobacco Products – will oversee the regulation, and it will have the power to mandate lower nicotine levels in tobacco products.
The legislation also bans candy-flavored cigarettes by October 2009, requires the full disclosure to the FDA of all ingredients and additives in cigarettes by January 2010, bans youth-focused marketing of cigarettes (including sponsorship of sporting events and clothing and cigarette giveaways), prohibits the use of misleading terms like "light" and "mild" on tobacco products by July 2010, and mandates new and stronger warning labels on tobacco products by July 2011.
Watch CBS Videos Online"Kids today don't just start smoking for no reason," the president said Monday. "They're aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They're exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn, and where they play. Most insidiously, they are offered products with flavorings that mask the taste of tobacco and make it even more tempting."
"Today, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, health care and consumer advocates, the decades-long effort to protect our children from the harmful effects of tobacco has emerged victorious," he added. "Today, change has come to Washington."
The president noted that the legislation does not ban tobacco products, thus allowing "adults to make their own choices." But he said it would mean a reduction in "the number of American children who pick up a cigarette and become adult smokers."
Still, he said, "our work to protect our children and improve the public's health is not complete."
"Today, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death not just in America, but also in the world," said Mr. Obama. "If current trends continue, 1 billion people will die from tobacco-related illnesses this century. And so the United States will continue to work with the World Health Organization and other nations to fight this epidemic on a global basis. But no matter how long or how hard this fight may be, what's happening today gives us hope."
He added that the bill passed "despite decades of lobbying and advertising by the tobacco industry."
"We're taking another big and very important step, a step that will save lives and dollars," said Mr. Obama.
American Lung Association
Report Card
The American Lung Association (ALA) known as the “State of Tobacco Control Report Card” was issued, statewide for 297 California cities and 30 of the 58 counties in California. The local grades cover three key policy areas including: smoke-free outdoor air, smoke-free housing, and reducing sales of tobacco products. An overall tobacco control grade was awarded to each of these municipalities. While there are some excellent local grades, a majority of the grades reflect the need to do more to protect against secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing, outdoor environments and retailer licensing to reduce youth access to tobacco.
Printable Copy of American Lung Association Report Card
Marin's poor anti-smoking grades
By Jennie R. Cook
Posted: 01/27/2009 12:05:15 AM PST
The American Lung Association just released its 2008 State of Tobacco Control Local Grades. With a few exceptions (county areas, Ross and Novato), most Marin communities received grades of D's and F's.
This is embarrassing for a county where local communities were once national and international models for tobacco control in the past.
What happened to us while many California communities throughout the state passed us by as they updated their smoking restrictions to reflect new scientific data?
The California Air Resources Board labeled secondhand smoke in the same category as the most toxic automotive and industrial air pollutants by categorizing it as a toxic air contaminant for which no safe level of exposure exists. This much-respected scientific report, showed that even in quasi-outdoor settings, secondhand smoke presents serious health risks to all populations.
Prompted in part by this report, California communities recently began to enact laws to protect residents from unwanted smoke exposure in multiunit housing where chain smoking neighbors fill up neighboring units with carcinogenic toxins.
Out of 12 jurisdictions in Marin, Novato was the only community that took measures to restrict smoking in multiunit housing.
But while many California cities moved quickly to match their policies to the science, most of our local communities have not updated their ordinances for 16 years.
Some of these local communities have received D's and F's in the past and have not done anything to improve their public health score - a curious impasse given the scientific advances.
The county Tobacco-Related Disease Control Program stays busy answering calls from citizens, upset about unwanted secondhand smoke exposure, hoping that their town will update their old smoking law.
The second reason that Marin communities received such low grades is because only San Rafael has enacted a tobacco retailer licensing law in the past decade.
Meanwhile, over 60 California communities have enacted tough licensing ordinances to stop stores from habitually selling tobacco to underage youth.
With almost 10 percent of Marin County retailers still selling tobacco to kids, we must remember it only takes one store to addict an entire neighborhood of teens to cigarettes.
Only a licensing law will stop them from selling to underage youth, because they would lose their license if they continue this unethical business practice.
In addition to tobacco retailer licensing regulations, the Smoke-Free Marin Coalition would also like to see all Marin residents and workers receive equal protection from secondhand smoke exposure.
Right now, residents of some Marin communities enjoy much more protection from secondhand smoke because they have updated their smoke-free laws to protect residents, workers and visitors.
Our coalition, which consists of voluntary health agencies such as the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and other organizations, has been helping Marin city councils enact, implement and enforce their tobacco control laws for nearly two decades.
We will continue to support city councils in updating their public health protections. Let's not wait for the state to pass a law: Marin communities are best served with local ordinances that reflect scientific studies and the health needs of our local residents.
When the American Lung Association puts out their report next January, let's see a row of A's instead of those embarrassing D's and F's.
Maybe it is time for Marin to recapture its lead in tobacco control.
Jennie R. Cook of Larkspur is chairwoman of the Smoke-Free Marin Coalition. Recent studies and the latest report card can be found at www.smokefreemarin.com
What have you done lately?
Thank you for your Jan. 19 editorial on Marin County's grades from the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control report.
Marin County and cities were indeed leaders in adopting indoor workplace smoking controls well before the state of California did in 1998. However, only three cities (Novato, Ross and San Anselmo) and the county have updated their policies to somewhat mirror the abundance of scientific evidence of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke developed since that time.
When the U.S. Surgeon General declares that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and the California EPA declares secondhand smoke a toxic air contaminant, citizens demand action.
The admittedly harsh grades reflect the 2008 status of protections.
As they become more educated, the public is concerned and looks to their city government to adopt policies reflective of the current body of knowledge.
Additionally, this was a state of tobacco "control" report not a smoking report.
Marin may have a 10 percent adult smoking rate that would be below the state average of 13.6 percent, but in the absence of comprehensive policies, those 10 percent and any visitors are in position to do some significant harm to citizens in most of the cities in Marin County.
Pam Granger, TOBACCO EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION
OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA ROSA
Novato passes sweeping smoking measure and sets a new standard for Marin County and the whole North Bay..!
- The uninvited presence of Secondhand smoke into any enclosed place of human habitation is a nuisance and a trespass.
- At least 50 percent of the units in existing multi-unit complexes with 10 or more units, and 75 percent of units in new multi-unit complexes, must be designated nonsmoking.
- Smoking shall be prohibited in any place where food and/or drink is offered for sale, including outdoor dining areas of restaurants.
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