View the Los Angeles report card here
View the Orange County report card here
(Los Angeles, CA, February 11, 2008) The American Lung Association of California today issued mixed grades to 88 Los Angeles County cities and 34 Orange County cities, ranking their efforts to pass policies protecting residents from second-hand smoke in various outdoor air categories or multi-unit housing.
This annual American Lung Association of California State of Tobacco Control local report card was presented today at a news conference in Los Angeles. Cities were graded based on what local ordinances or policies had been passed in five categories (recreation areas, outdoor dining, entryways, outdoor service areas, multi-unit housing) and tobacco retail licensing ordinances aimed at reducing illegal sales of tobacco to minors.
“Although some cities in LA and Orange County have made great progress in protecting the health of local residents from second-hand tobacco smoke, there is still much more policy work to be done,” said Trisha Murakawa, Chair-Elect, American Lung Association of California Board. “Too many people are being exposed to secondhand smoke in public places in our cities, including parks, cafes and in their apartments.”
The 10 largest cities in Los Angeles County, making up over 55.8% of the total population, had a higher score than the combined average of the rest of the 78 smaller cities in the county.
"A number of our cities are making a valiant effort in fighting the battle against tobacco use; however, we know we need to invest more resources in this campaign if we are going to successfully beat tobacco," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, LA County Director of Public Health and County Health Officer. "The urgency exists because we now know how dangerous secondhand smoke is to the health of non-smokers and children alike."
The American Lung Association of California asked each city to fill out the information from their municipal codes and send them back completed. Most cities complied with the request and graded themselves. The others were ranked from a thorough on-line examination of their codes for smoking ordinances and tobacco use restrictions.
Only three cities in the two-county area earned an overall “A” grade: Baldwin Park, Burbank and Calabasas (all in Los Angeles County).
Calabasas was the first city in California to pass an ordinance that prohibits smoking in all outdoor public areas.
Cities with an overall “B” grade included Gardena, Irwindale, Lomita, Santa Monica, South Gate and South Pasadena in Los Angeles County, as well as Laguna Hills and Laguna Woods in Orange County.
Cities with an overall “C” grade were Agoura Hills, Avalon, Beverly Hills, Carson, El Segundo, Glendale, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Park, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Fernando and Sierra Madre, all in Los Angeles County. In Orange County, only the city of Laguna Beach earned an overall “C” grade.
Twenty-three LA County cities earned overall “D” grades; there were 3 overall “D” grades in Orange County. All the rest of the cities in both counties received overall “F” grades: 40 cities in LA County, and 29 in Orange County.
While some communities have adopted smoke free outdoor ordinances, including parks and dining areas, protections are still lacking for the hundreds of thousands of Southern California residents who live in multi-unit housing. Secondhand smoke can cause heart attacks, lung cancer, emphysema, and asthma. For elderly citizens, especially those with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart or lung conditions, even small amounts of secondhand smoke can delay their healing and/or sicken them. In apartment buildings, up to 60 percent of the air in each unit is from other units.
In 2006, the U. S. Surgeon General issued a report supported by over 40 years of research and scientific studies that states unequivocally there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The California Air Resources Board also officially declared secondhand smoke a toxic air contaminant that can cause serious illness and even death. Secondhand smoke is a complex mixture of compounds produced by burning tobacco products. It contains benzene, arsenic, and many other deadly chemicals and has been linked to a variety of health risks, including asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, breast cancer, increased lung and nasal infections, and heart disease. Smoking costs more than $15 billion each year to the state’s economy and health care system. These costs include direct and indirect medical costs, worker absenteeism and lost productivity.
More than 38,000 people in California die each year from diseases caused by cigarette smoking. Tobacco-related illness kills more than 438,000 Americans every year.
The American Lung Association has helped millions of Americans quit smoking through its Lung HelpLine 1.800.LUNG.USA, and through its smoking cessation programs, including Freedom From Smoking®, considered to be the "gold standard" of group-setting, smoking cessation programs and Not on Tobacco, or N-O-T, a nationally recognized smoking cessation program for youth.
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About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungusa.org.
