Health
SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced $30.5 million in state grant funding for local government agencies to tackle the illegal sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to minors as part of the Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program.
The grants were awarded to 76 local entities throughout the state.
“Tobacco is a serious threat to public health, especially to California’s youth,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These grants will support local communities in enforcing the law and educating kids about the harms of tobacco products. My office is dedicated to ensuring the state has the resources necessary to curb the dangers of tobacco and protect the public’s well-being. Preventing or reducing illegal sales of tobacco to minors will pave the way to a healthier California—we’re committed to tackling this public health crisis head on.”
The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56 (Prop. 56), the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016.
Beginning April 2017, Prop. 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on all other tobacco products. Prop. 56 also allocates millions of dollars annually to the Department of Justice for distribution to local law enforcement agencies for the support and hiring of peace officers for various activities.
These activities include investigations and compliance checks to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors.
The Attorney General's Office has received reports from several agencies on the progress of their grant-funded activities. This includes public education programs for their communities, decoy operations, and investigations into adults purchasing tobacco for minors.
Between April and June of 2019, nearly 1,800 decoy operations were conducted across the state. Further, in the same time frame over 1,000 tobacco education events, including vaping awareness, were held for K-12 students. Just last week, the Los Angeles City Attorney announced a media campaign that targets minors and highlights the negative impact of vaping.
The Tobacco Grant recipients continue to undertake critical and necessary steps to reduce illegal sales of tobacco to youth.
The grant recipients will use state dollars to fund operations and projects, including hiring school resource officers, improving law enforcement operations, and providing education for minors and their families. Recipients will also use funds to educate businesses on current tobacco laws and provide outreach to tobacco vendors. The recipients include cities, counties, school districts, sheriffs’ and police departments.
Click here to see the 2019-2020 grant recipients.
The grants were awarded to 76 local entities throughout the state.
“Tobacco is a serious threat to public health, especially to California’s youth,” said Attorney General Becerra. “These grants will support local communities in enforcing the law and educating kids about the harms of tobacco products. My office is dedicated to ensuring the state has the resources necessary to curb the dangers of tobacco and protect the public’s well-being. Preventing or reducing illegal sales of tobacco to minors will pave the way to a healthier California—we’re committed to tackling this public health crisis head on.”
The Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program is funded by Proposition 56 (Prop. 56), the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016.
Beginning April 2017, Prop. 56 raised the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with an equivalent increase on all other tobacco products. Prop. 56 also allocates millions of dollars annually to the Department of Justice for distribution to local law enforcement agencies for the support and hiring of peace officers for various activities.
These activities include investigations and compliance checks to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors.
The Attorney General's Office has received reports from several agencies on the progress of their grant-funded activities. This includes public education programs for their communities, decoy operations, and investigations into adults purchasing tobacco for minors.
Between April and June of 2019, nearly 1,800 decoy operations were conducted across the state. Further, in the same time frame over 1,000 tobacco education events, including vaping awareness, were held for K-12 students. Just last week, the Los Angeles City Attorney announced a media campaign that targets minors and highlights the negative impact of vaping.
The Tobacco Grant recipients continue to undertake critical and necessary steps to reduce illegal sales of tobacco to youth.
The grant recipients will use state dollars to fund operations and projects, including hiring school resource officers, improving law enforcement operations, and providing education for minors and their families. Recipients will also use funds to educate businesses on current tobacco laws and provide outreach to tobacco vendors. The recipients include cities, counties, school districts, sheriffs’ and police departments.
Click here to see the 2019-2020 grant recipients.
- Details
- Written by: California Attorney General’s Office
SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) on Monday applauded Gov. Gavin Newsom for signing into law SB 647, a bill that protects consumers by updating California’s metal-containing jewelry laws to better reflect current science and international standards on the toxicity of lead and cadmium in jewelry.
Lead and cadmium are toxic metals that can cause severe and chronic health effects including neurological impairments, kidney damage, seizures, comas, and death.
Young children are especially susceptible to these adverse health effects, because their bodies and brains are still developing.
“With the passage of Senate Bill 647, California has raised the bar to better protect the health and safety of our people,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Lead and cadmium are highly toxic and can cause serious health problems, even at low levels of exposure, and especially for children. California’s laws regulating toxic metals in jewelry are now the most comprehensive in the world. With this law, our state continues to lead the way with advanced standards that reflect current science and address the danger that these toxic metals pose to our communities.”
“I want to see a California where all children thrive, health justice is part of that mission,” said Sen. Mitchell. “We had to take a harder stance and elevate California’s cadmium and lead jewelry law because the damage these toxins have on our bodies and environment is irreversible.”
SB 647, introduced by Senator Mitchell on Feb. 22, received unanimous bipartisan support. SB 647 strengthens California’s lead and cadmium jewelry laws by establishing science-backed standards that have demonstrated success in both North America and Europe.
Specifically, SB 647 does all of the following:
– Adopts the federal standard for lead in all accessible components of children’s jewelry (<100 ppm total lead);
– Adopts the federal cadmium standard for paint and surface coating of children’s jewelry that is derived from an ASTM International standard (<75 ppm soluble cadmium);
– Amends the definition of children’s jewelry to conform with Canada’s definition (jewelry intended for children under 15 years of age); and
– Applies the EU lead jewelry standard (<500 ppm total lead) to certain materials in adult jewelry.
Lead and cadmium are toxic metals that can cause severe and chronic health effects including neurological impairments, kidney damage, seizures, comas, and death.
Young children are especially susceptible to these adverse health effects, because their bodies and brains are still developing.
“With the passage of Senate Bill 647, California has raised the bar to better protect the health and safety of our people,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Lead and cadmium are highly toxic and can cause serious health problems, even at low levels of exposure, and especially for children. California’s laws regulating toxic metals in jewelry are now the most comprehensive in the world. With this law, our state continues to lead the way with advanced standards that reflect current science and address the danger that these toxic metals pose to our communities.”
“I want to see a California where all children thrive, health justice is part of that mission,” said Sen. Mitchell. “We had to take a harder stance and elevate California’s cadmium and lead jewelry law because the damage these toxins have on our bodies and environment is irreversible.”
SB 647, introduced by Senator Mitchell on Feb. 22, received unanimous bipartisan support. SB 647 strengthens California’s lead and cadmium jewelry laws by establishing science-backed standards that have demonstrated success in both North America and Europe.
Specifically, SB 647 does all of the following:
– Adopts the federal standard for lead in all accessible components of children’s jewelry (<100 ppm total lead);
– Adopts the federal cadmium standard for paint and surface coating of children’s jewelry that is derived from an ASTM International standard (<75 ppm soluble cadmium);
– Amends the definition of children’s jewelry to conform with Canada’s definition (jewelry intended for children under 15 years of age); and
– Applies the EU lead jewelry standard (<500 ppm total lead) to certain materials in adult jewelry.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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