- 1: What are the tobacco control laws that govern San Francisco?
San Francisco Tobacco Control Laws, revised June 2018
- 2: What can I do about secondhand smoke?
- Take a look at existing laws around secondhand smoke.
- Take a look at Addressing Drifting Second Hand Smoke in Your Home (Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Tagalog).
- Take a look at our Tobacco-Free Places page.
- Printable version of No Smoking Sign.
- Printable version of No Smoking/No Vaping Sign.
- 3: How do I quit smoking?
Take a look at our Tobacco-Free You page to explore local classes and support as well as quitting hotlines, website, and apps.
The Tobacco Free Project hosts a multi-session quitting class several times a year at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
- 4: Why is tobacco control important?
Nearly five million people worldwide, including nearly 500,000 people in the United States, die every year from tobacco related illness. This equates to roughly 1,300 smoking related deaths per day. All of those deaths were preventable.
- 8 of 10 smokers start smoking by the age of 18 and the tobacco industry claims it does not target youth.
- 20% of youth are able to purchase tobacco illegally from retailers.
- Secondhand smoke kills over 42,000 non-smokers every year.
- The tobacco companies spend 11.22 million dollars every day advertising and promoting a product that, when used as intended, kills.
- The land used to grow tobacco worldwide could feed 20 million people.
- Tobacco use costs the United States more than $289 billion a year.
- 5: Do secondhand smoke laws govern Marijuana usage?
Local smoking laws regulate the use of tobacco products. As such, it is not likely that the laws will affect the use of marijuana. However, some rules, including individual leases, may prohibit the use of all smoking, including all weeds and plants. Review the regulation or lease you are interested in to get a full picture.
- 6: How do I get involved in the Tobacco-Free Coalition?
- 7: How retailers can prevent illegal sales to minors?
- The California Department of Public Health has created a webpage dedicated to the Tobacco 21 law. This page has several links for signage, resources, and additional information.
- Please take a look at the 2017 San Francisco Annual Retailer Mailing Packet for helpful tips and resources.
- The Food and Drug Administration provides several free resources for retailers to train themselves and their employees to prevent illegal sales to minors: