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Tobacco Control

PHLP has worked on tobacco control policy for more than 10 years. In fact, our model tobacco control policies and laws helped change the public acceptance of smoking in California. Our largest program, the Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), funded by the California Department of Health Services, provides California communities with free technical assistance on tobacco control policy issues. 

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An important message about our website: This website provides general information about legal issues. While Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) and its projects make every effort to ensure that the information is accurate and complete, you should consult an attorney before acting on the basis of information on this website. Please note that while PHLP staff can answer certain questions via e-mail or telephone, PHLP does not provide legal advice or enter into attorney-client relationships.

Program News

New Smokefree Housing Laws Adopted in California Cities

Aug 31, 2010

Two California cities passed laws this summer to create smokefree multi-unit housing using a model ordinance developed by Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP). Robin Salsburg, a staff attorney at PHLP, worked closely with city staff in South Pasadena and Sebastopol (along with the American Lung Association and Smokefree Air For Everyone) to tailor the ordinance to each city.

What Tobacco Products Are Covered by the New FDA Law?

Jul 6, 2010

The 2009 FDA Law gives the agency authority to regulate products that contain tobacco, but the law doesn't apply to every type of tobacco product. This fact sheet explains which restrictions apply to which tobacco products.

Tobacco Retailer Licensing as a Powerful Enforcement Tool

Jun 8, 2010

State and local officials can use tobacco retailer licensing to enforce a number of tobacco-related laws and control the location and density of tobacco retailers. This law synopsis provides overviews of innovative local tobacco retailer programs nationwide and shows how this tool can be an effective tobacco control strategy.

More Tobacco Control News

Publications

PHLP offers a variety of products, including fact sheets, model documents, reports, legal memos, and presentations. You can search our publications according to product type, a specific policy area, or a combination of the two. Choose from the categories in the drop-down menus for each field. You may also enter a keyword in the search box to narrow the results. Click “Search” to display your results.

10 Ways to Limit Tobacco

Fact Sheet

This comprehensive yet easy-to-use brochure describes 10 legal policy options for local governments to limit tobacco use, sales, and marketing in their communities. Retailer licensing, sponsorship bans, private enforcement, and other laws and ordinances are outlined. Includes a colorful 17" x 11" poster illustrating a tobacco-free city, which acts as a quick guide to policies and laws applicable to different community settings.

Additional resources to help you implement smokefree housing policies

Chart

The following resources accompany TALC's fact sheet, Creating Smokefree Policies for Affordable Housing in California.

Administrative Enforcement Roadmap

Report

A concern frequently voiced by tobacco control advocates is that existing tobacco control laws are not properly enforced. The best way to increase enforcement of tobacco laws is to eliminate barriers that may be impeding active local enforcement; but without an overall sense of how enforcement is designed to occur, ways around the barriers may be difficult to find.