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CA Governor Jerry Brown Signs Historic Tobacco Legislation
May 4, 2016
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California’s Governor Jerry Brown Signs Historic Legislation to Keep Kids from Getting Hooked on Nicotine
Statement from Jim Knox, California Vice President of Government Relations, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
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Sacramento, CA – May 4, 2016. “The most significant tobacco control legislation enacted in nearly two decades was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown this afternoon. His leadership puts California at the forefront of the modern tobacco control movement, once again, and elevates the critically important issue of preventing the next generation from becoming addicted to the latest tobacco products marketed to youth.
“Governor Brown signed all but Senate Bill (SB) X2-9/ABX2-10, which would have given municipalities the ability to institute local tobacco tax increases unsigned. In summary, the following bills were signed into law:
SB 5 X2 by Senator Mark Leno classifies e-cigarettes as tobacco products. This will make them subject to smoke-free laws, age restrictions and other rules governing tobacco products.
SB 7 X2 by Senator Ed Hernandez raises the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
AB 7 X2 by Assemblymember Mark Stone closes loopholes in the state’s smoke free workplace laws.
AB 9 X2 by Assemblymembers Tony Thurmond and Adrin Nazarian requires all K-12 schools to be tobacco free.
AB 11 X2 by Assemblymember Nazarian increases licensing fees for tobacco retailers and distributors.
“Overall, enormous progress was marked today to curb youth tobacco consumption and prevent future addiction, regulate e-cigarettes and fund prevention, cessation and treatment of tobacco-related illnesses.
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) recognizes Governor Brown for taking historic steps to rein in the tobacco industry that will result in lives and taxpayer money saved. The new laws help address the public health scourge of our time through what ACS CAN describes as the ‘three-legged stool of tobacco control’ by improving smoke-free laws, regularly and significantly increasing tobacco taxes and funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
“Governor Brown is demonstrating he cares about protecting kids and preventing the 40,000 deaths that occur every year in California due to tobacco use. Tobacco continues to claim too many lives and is the leading cause of preventable death. We hope other states will follow California’s bold steps to combat tobacco addiction, in its many forms, and we applaud the governor’s swift actions.”
“The momentum created by today’s bill signings is fueling the morale of hundreds of our volunteer cancer advocates who are out collecting signatures to get a $2 per pack tobacco tax on the November ballot. This is the remaining link to our crucial improvements in tobacco-control. We urge voters to go to www.savelivescalifornia.com to find out more and sign a petition to increase California’s tobacco tax, now one of the lowest in the country, to a respectable level that will truly make a difference in the health of Californians.”
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials to make cancer a top priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer and make their voices heard.
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