Lung Health News, Spring / Summer 2005
San Diego Grades College Policies
The Tobacco-Free Communities Coalition of San Diego released a report in December 2004 that graded tobacco-free policies at 13 colleges and universities in San Diego County. Only Point Loma Nazarene University and San Diego State University received A grades. Developed by the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, the Report Card was a first for campuses in California.
Redwood Empire Surveys Use of Settlement Funds
The American Lung Association of California, Redwood Empire Branch, is conducting a survey of how each county in its seven-county service area is spending its Master Settlement Funds and whether any funds are dedicated to tobacco control and prevention. The association will follow up with those counties not addressing tobacco issues.
San Francisco Adopts Smoke-Free City Parks
The American Lung Association of San Francisco & San Mateo Counties worked closely with the San Francisco Tobacco-Free Coalition to help pass the groundbreaking Smoke-Free Park Ordinance. Staff testimony was provided to support the smoking ban on any city property open to the public, including parks, plazas, and sports or playing fields.
Santa Clara Pushing for Parks Ordinance in San Jose
As lead agency for the San Jose Tobacco-Free Collaborative, the American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties is working to secure an ordinance making all 144 city parks smoke-free. If passed, San Jose would be home to one of the most extensive outdoor smoking ordinances in the Bay Area.
Central Coast Strengthens Campus Smoking Policies
Students in the American Lung Association of the Central Coast’s Campus Advocacy and Mentorship Program have successfully secured no-smoking policies at four area colleges stronger than the state law and conducted a campaign encouraging colleges to prohibit tobacco industry sponsorships and divest from tobacco funds in their financial portfolios.
East Bay Project Protects Tenants
The American Lung Association of the East Bay has launched RESPECT, a new statewide tobacco control project designed to protect tenants against secondhand smoke, as well as reduce smoking rates among low-socioeconomic-status populations, whose smoking prevalence has not decreased at the same rate as in middle and upper-class Californians.
Santa Barbara Campaigns for Smoke-Free Housing
The city of Thousand Oaks adopted what may be the first city policy in the nation to protect residents in affordable housing from secondhand smoke, requiring any future city-subsidized buildings to designate a third of all units smoke-free, thanks to a four-year campaign by the American Lung Association of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties and a coalition of community organizations.
