California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced $18.6 million in state funding to tackle the illegal sale of cigarettes and tobacco products, which include $1.37 million for Contra Costa County. The award is part of the Department of Justice’s annual Tobacco Grant Program.
According to the grant award:
- Contra Costa Health Services (Tobacco Prevention Program) – $442,692
Will fund tobacco-related enforcement operations at all licensed retailers in unincorporated Contra Costa, including compliance inspections, tobacco-related training to enforcement agencies regarding tobacco laws, issues, and products, and provide technical assistance to local enforcement agencies and facilitate a countywide enforcers’ workgroup. - San Pablo Police Department – $936,288
Will fund personnel to provide education to youth regarding tobacco prevention, conduct retail compliance inspections, perform multi-jurisdictional enforcement operations, conduct enforcement operations, including minor decoy and shoulder tap, and to implement procedures to ensure 100% compliance with for smoke-free rental housing tobacco ordinance.
For a full list of grants – click here
The Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act. Since 2017, the Tobacco Grant Program has distributed approximately $170 million in grant funding through a competitive application process.
“Every day, thousands of young Californians will smoke their first cigarette,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Tobacco manufacturers and retailers bear much of the blame, often directly encouraging the growing underage market for their products. The California Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program provides critical funds to prevent these illegal sales and reduce youth tobacco use in our communities.”
Tobacco use is the number one preventable killer in the United States, resulting in more deaths than the number of people who die from alcohol, AIDS, car accidents, illegal drugs, murder, and suicides — combined. In California alone, over 400,000 children currently under the age of 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
Federal law prohibits retailers from selling tobacco products to youth under the age of 21. However, many retailers ignore this law by selling their products to minors, marketing flavored tobacco to children, and even engaging in illegal online sales without required age verification. The Tobacco Grant Program aims to reduce childhood addiction to tobacco products by supporting local partners who:
- Inform and instruct tobacco retailers on state and local tobacco laws;
- Investigate and inspect retailer licensing compliance; and
- Prosecute and penalize retailers who sell or market tobacco products to youth under the age of 21, including over the internet.
This year’s recipients include cities, counties, school districts, sheriffs, and police departments.
