City Gets A "B" For Anti-Smoking Efforts

Martinez got pretty good grades from the American Lung Association on its efforts to prevent smoking – it received a “B” grade overall, with an “A” for Smokefree Outdoor Air, a “B” in Smokefree Housing, and a “D” in Reducing Sales of Tobacco Products.

In 2009, the city passed an ordinance banning smoking in most public places, indoors and out. In 2010, it passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking in common areas in apartment buildings.

The Lung Association report gives the unincorporated portions of the county an “A,” as well as the City of Richmond. Other cities did not fare so well in the report: while Pleasant Hill also received a “B” grade, Concord and Pinole got a “C,” while every other city received a “D” or an “F.”

Surprisingly, the state itself received an “F,” even though it was a leader in the movement to prevent smoking in the workplace, and in common indoor and outdoor areas. The report states that California’s tobacco tax rates 33 among the 50 states, and calls for support for a ballot initiative this year to raise it by $1 to fund anti-tobacco activities.