Prevent youth access and exposure to tobacco

Sale of flavored tobacco products ends in California 

The new California Flavored Tobacco Law (SB793) prohibiting the sale of flavored tobacco products. Flavored tobacco products include flavored cigarettes, flavored smokeless tobacco products, flavored electronic cigarettes, or e-liquids. Examples of flavors include fruit flavors, mint and menthol flavors, candy flavors, alcohol flavors, and spice flavors. This law does not apply to hookah and shisha, loose leaf pipe tobacco, and premium cigars. This law does not penalize anyone who purchases, uses, or possesses a flavored tobacco product. For background information on the new law visit: Undo.org.

Resources for tobacco retailers

Visit California Department of Public Health for information about the new law.

Local flavored tobacco sales restrictions would apply in jurisdictions with a more comprehensive policy than the California Flavored Tobacco Law. To better understand what is required to comply with the law based on the location of your business,  fact sheets for each local jurisdiction in the county are provided below.

Campbell | Cupertino | Gilroy | Los Altos | Los Gatos | Milpitas | Mountain View 

Morgan Hill | Palo Alto | San Jose | Santa Clara | Santa Clara County | Saratoga | Sunnyvale 

Start your quitting journey today

Quitting tobacco is a long journey and can take several attempts before quitting for good.39 Kick It California has a personalized quit program designed for a person’s own circumstances and challenges as they begin or continue their journey to quit tobacco products.

For free quit help:

Call 800-300-8086.
Text “I Can Quit” to 66819 to quit vapes, or “Kick Tobacco” to 66819 to quit cigarettes.
Chat with a Quit Coach now to quit tobacco.
Visit KickItCA.org to get resources or download the mobile app.

Youth exposure to tobacco

In Santa Clara County, 1 in 10 youth use tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Nearly 90 percent of adult smokers reported that they tried their first cigarette before the age of 18 and 80 percent who started vaping began with a flavored product. In Santa Clara County, 12 is the most common age that youth have tried their first cigarette. Nearly 40 percent of Santa Clara County students who report smoking cigarettes, and 65 percent who use e-cigarettes reported that they purchased them from a store. Of those who purchased them directly from a store, less than a quarter (23 percent) were asked to show proof of age.

Local tobacco retail licensing

Tobacco-Free Communities staff work to support county and city staff in implementing policies, such as a tobacco retail license, to protect youth from access and exposure to tobacco products communities can use their local tobacco license to further protect youth from access and exposure to tobacco by limiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, restricting tobacco sales near schools and in areas with high numbers of tobacco retailers, and including restrictions on the sale of electronic smoking devices/vape products. The program provides presentations on youth access and youth tobacco use data, policy options, technical assistance and resources such as list of tobacco retailers and educational material. Contact the Tobacco-Free Communities Program at (408) 793-2700 for more information.

To learn more about flavored tobacco and vaping, visit FlavorsHookKidsSantaClara.org.

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