In a report released by the American Lung Association (ALA), Malibu received a C grade when it comes to tobacco control and discouraging tobacco use.
The report, entitled “State of Tobacco Control 2014,” assesses cities and counties within California based on overall tobacco prevention and control spending, smokefree air, smokefree housing and reducing sales of tobacco products. Each city and county then receives a letter grade based on its success in these areas.
With an overall C grade, Malibu is on par with the LA County average. Although some cities, namely Baldwin Park, Calabasas, Compton, Glendale, Huntington Park, Pasadena, Santa Monica and South Pasadena, earned A’s on their reports, another 44 cities in the county earned F’s.
Malibu’s C grade reflects a C in enacting policies toward smokefree outdoor air, an F in smokefree housing and an A in reducing sales of tobacco products, which combine for the overall tobacco control grade. Out of a possible 12 points overall, Malibu received six.
Elected officials in Los Angeles County in general could also be doing more to control and discourage tobacco use, according to the ALA.
“I am excited and proud to see the steps that multiple communities around California have taken to fight tobacco. We cannot allow tobacco to be the number one preventable cause of death for another 50 years,” said ALA in California Governing Board member David Tom Cook, MD, FCCP, FACS.
In terms of smokefree air, Malibu earned points for restricting smoking in outdoor dining establishments and entryways, as well as at some public events and in some recreation areas. However, the report points out that Malibu does not have no-smoking policies regarding service areas, sidewalks or work sites.
Malibu’s F grade for smokefree housing shows no city laws in place regarding nonsmoking housing units, or nonsmoking common areas — laws which would go above and beyond California’s state restrictions.
Malibu did earn an A for reducing sales of tobacco products, getting full points in the category of tobacco retailer licensing.
The ALA notes in its report that more rigorous tobacco control policies are being put in place across the state, although progress is slow. Some highlights of this improvement include 40 cities raising their grades in 2013 and the number of overall Fs decreasing. However, over 60 percent of all municipalities in the state received an F on this latest report.