State Highlights

 

California

Monitor

In California, 14.0% of the adult population (aged 18+ years) — over 3,839,000 individuals—are current cigarette smokers. Across all states, the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults ranges from 9.3% to 26.5%. California ranks 2nd among the states.

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Among youth ages 12–17 years, 6.9% smoke in California. The range across all states is 6.5% to 15.9%. California ranks 3rd among the states.

Among adults ages 35+ years, over 36,700 died as a result of tobacco use per year, on average, during 2000–2004. This represents a smoking-attributable mortality rate of 235.0/100,000. California's smoking-attributable mortality rate ranks 6th among the states.

Protect

California does not have a statewide smoke-free law that provides adequate protection against exposure to secondhand smoke in public places.

Among adults who work indoors, the percentage who reported anyone smoking in their work area within the preceding 2 weeks has remained lower in California than in the nation overall. Currently, California ranks 11th among the states for workplace exposure, at 5.4%.

Offer

Best Practices estimates 8% of smokers could access quitlines each year. In California, 3.5% of current smokers who made a quit attempt in the past year called a quitline.

The Medicaid fee-for-service program in California provides full coverage for tobacco dependence treatment. California's Medicaid policy provides coverage for both bupropion and varenicline. California's Medicaid policy does not provide coverage for individual, group or telephone counseling.

Warn

Smoke-free home rules represent awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke. In California, as in the nation, an increasing number of families have such a rule.

Currently, 87.6% of California homes have this rule. California ranks 2nd among the states.

Rating point data were available for 42 states and the District of Columbia. Best Practices recommendations translate into an average of 800 targeted rating points (TRPs) in effective youth and 1,200 gross rating points (GRPs) in effective general audience anti-tobacco media campaigns per quarter. California's major media market(s) aired an average of 138 youth TRPs and 670 general audience GRPs per quarter in 2008. California ranks 8th among the states for the number of youth TRPs and 7th among the states for the number of general audience GRPs aired.

Enforce

California allows local regulation of tobacco industry promotions, sampling and display of tobacco products in commercial establishments.

California requires all establishments selling tobacco products over the counter and by vending machine to be licensed. Currently, 38 states require licensure for both over-the-counter and vending machine sales.

Raise

California maintains a $0.87 per pack tax and ranks 32nd among the states.

California does not have a minimum price law.

Approximately 24% of the annual revenue generated from state excise taxes and settlement payments would fund California's tobacco control program at the Best Practices recommended amount. However, in 2007, California's funding for tobacco control was 19.2% of the recommended level. California ranks 24th among the states.