Tobacco Information and Cessation Resources

Know the Facts

Tobacco is a plant that people can smoke, chew or sniff. Tobacco leaves contain many toxic chemicals, including nicotine which is the chemical that can lead to addiction (NIDA).
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths per year. An additional 41,000 deaths occur from secondhand smoke exposure each year (CDC, 2021).
While tobacco use has declined during the last 50 years, it remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S (National Library of Medicine, 2023).
Nearly 9 out of 10 adults who smoke cigarettes daily first tried smoking by the age of 18 (CDC, 2024)
Among past-month users of nicotine products, nearly two thirds of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (63.1%) vaped nicotine but did not use tobacco products (SAMHSA, 2022).

For more information on vaping, visit bchd.org/vaping.

Smoking and COVID-19

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health highlights smoking as a risk factor for serious illness from COVID-19 because smoking harms every system in the body and causes both cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease. People who smoke are two to four times more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 (i.e. requiring hospitalization, being admitted to the ICU, needing mechanical ventilation and dying) when compared to those who did not smoke. For more information on COVID-19, visit bchd.org/coronavirus.

Youth

General Facts

In 2023, 12.6% of U.S. high school students reported using a tobacco product.
E-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youth since 2014.
In 2023, about 1 out of every 10 and 1 in every 22 middle school students (4.6%) reported that they had used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days.

Source: CDC, 2024

In the Beach Cities

2% of Beach Cities 11th graders reported using tobacco (cigarettes) in the past 30 days.
A little more than half of Beach Cities 11th graders (58.5%) believe that their peers feel it is very wrong to use vape products such as e-cigarettes, vape pens or mods.
5% of Beach Cities 11th graders reported using electronic cigarettes or other vaping devices in the past 30 daysSource: California Healthy Kids Survey, 2017 – 2024

Adults

General Facts

In 2022 49.2 million adults, or about 1 in 5, reported current tobacco use.
E-cigarette use among adults increased between 2019 and 2022.

Source: CDC, 2024

In the Beach Cities

Six percent of adults smoke tobacco in the Beach Cities, compared to 16% in the United States (Gallup National Health & Well-being Index (WBI), 2020).
Eight percent of Hermosa Beach, 7% of Manhattan Beach and 7% of Redondo Beach adults aged 18 and over have used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days, which is higher in Los Angeles County (5%) and California (5%) (California Health Interview Survey, 2018).

Health Impacts of Tobacco Use

Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
80% of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death, is due to smoking (American Cancer Society, 2020).

Dangers of Underage Tobacco Use

Smoking reduces lung function and affects lung growth. Such damage is permanent and increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Youth are sensitive to nicotine and can depend on the substance earlier than adults, leading to about 3 in 4 teen smokers ending up as daily smokers in adulthood.

Source: U.S Surgeon General, 2017

Tobacco Control Policies in the Beach Cities

Beach Cities Health District partners with the cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach to strengthen tobacco ordinances to make clean air possible for residents of all ages. During the past couple years, the Beach Cities have adopted several tobacco control policies aimed at smoke-free public places, regulations in the retail environment and protections for youth.

CITY	DETAILS	ADOPTED
Hermosa Beach
Ban on electronic smoking devices and prohibiting the issuance of new tobacco retail licenses	Hermosa Beach City Council voted to prohibit the sale of all electronic smoking devices and vaping products and to cap the number of tobacco retail licenses to those retailers currently operating in the city.	Adopted Feb 11, 2020
Tobacco Retail License expansion to include flavor ban at all retailers	Expands existing tobacco retail license to extend the flavor ban at all retailers including “adult-only” retailers that were exempted in prior ordinance	Adopted May 28, 2019
Tobacco Retail License	Establishes local Tobacco Retail License program to prevent illegal sales of tobacco products to minors, includes a prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol. The sale of flavored tobacco products is permitted in “adult only” establishments. The ordinance prohibits new retailers from being within a 500-feet radius of youth-sensitive areas. The ordinance also requires that little cigars are sold in packs of at least 20 little cigars.	Adopted Jan 8, 2019
Comprehensive Smoking Ban in Outdoor and Public Places	Prohibits smoking in all public places in the City of Hermosa Beach, and prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes wherever smoking is not allowed.	Adopted Aug 23, 2016
Manhattan Beach
World Health Organization’s (WHO) “World No Tobacco Day Award” in the Region of the Americas	City of Manhattan Beach was selected as a co-winner by WHO for accomplishments in tobacco regulation	Awarded May 31, 2021
Full Tobacco Retail Ban	Prohibits the sale of all tobacco products in the City of Manhattan Beach, effective January 1, 2021.	Adopted Feb 18, 2020
Ban of vaping products and all flavored products	Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an ordinance to prohibit the sale of all vape products, electronic smoking devices and eliminated prior flavor exemptions to include a prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes	Adopted Nov 5, 2019
Multi-Unit Housing	Smoking prohibited inside any units or any outdoor areas of a multi-unit housing property that has 3 or more units.	Adopted Oct 20, 2015
Tobacco Retail License	Establishes local Tobacco Retail License program to prevent illegal sales of tobacco products to minors, includes a prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco products (exemptions to mint, menthol, spearmint, wintergreen). No retailers within 500 feet of schools or within 500 feet of other retailers	Adopted Dec 1, 2015
Comprehensive Smoking Ban in All Public Places	Prohibits smoking in all public places in the City of Manhattan Beach, and prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes wherever smoking is not allowed. Only places smoking is allowed is: • Private residential property, other than those used as a child-care or health-care facility subject to State licensing requirements. • In up to twenty percent of guest rooms in any hotel or motel that meets certain conditions. • Within a moving vehicle.	Adopted Jun 17, 2014
Redondo Beach
Comprehensive Outdoor Smoking Ban	Prohibits smoking in all public places in the City of Redondo Beach, and prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes wherever smoking is not allowed. Business owners can apply for designated smoking areas on their property.	Adopted Oct 15, 2019
Tobacco Retail License	Establishes local Tobacco Retail License program to prevent illegal sales of tobacco products to minors, includes a prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco products (hookah lounges exempted).	Adopted Oct 15, 2019

Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach enacted a comprehensive smoking ban in all public places in 2016. In January 2019, the Hermosa Beach City Council approved amendments to the municipal code requiring local tobacco retailers to purchase an annual business license to continue the specific sale of tobacco products. These provisions include a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products and electronic smoking devices. The intent of the tobacco retail license is to limit the sale of electronic smoking devices and flavored tobacco products to youth in the community. Due to the adoption of these recent policies, Hermosa Beach’s annual American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control grade improved from a “D” in 2019 to a “B” in 2020.

Learn more about Hermosa Beach’s smoke-free policy, Healthy Air Hermosa.

Manhattan Beach

In February 2020, Manhattan Beach became the second city in the nation to prohibit the sale of all tobacco products within the city. Along with Beverly Hills, these retail bans will go into effect January 1, 2021. In addition, Manhattan Beach has enacted a comprehensive ordinance banning smoking in all public places, including multi-unit housing, and implemented a tobacco retail permit that aims to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors while banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. In October 2019, the Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an ordinance banning the sale of e-cigarette and vaping devices due to emerging health concerns. In 2016, The American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control Report awarded Manhattan Beach an “A” tobacco control grade – a dramatic improvement from the “D” grade it received in 2015.

Learn more about Manhattan Beach’s smoke-free policy, Breathe Free MB.

Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach has enacted a comprehensive smoking ban in all public places. In October 2019, the Redondo Beach City Council enacted a tobacco retail ordinance ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including vape and e-cigarette devices. The City Council also amended the Municipal Code to include measures regulating the possession of tobacco products by minors on school grounds. These great strides in tobacco control moved Redondo Beach from an “F” grade in the American Lung Association’s 2019 State of Tobacco Control to a “B” in 2020.

Learn more about Redondo Beach’s newest tobacco policy.

Tobacco Control Policies

H.R. 2471 (2022): H.R. 2471 Congress authorized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate synthetic nicotine products
SB 793, Flavored Tobacco Products (2020): California tobacco retailers are prohibited to sell flavored tobacco products. Note that opponents are seeking to overturn the bill through a referendum on the November 2022 ballot.
H.R. 2411, Tobacco 21 or T21 (2019): The federal minimum age for sale of tobacco products changed from 18 to 21 years old.

Read the U.S. Surgeon General’s Executive Summary on Smoking Cessation here.

Cessation Tips

Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. Here are a few tips on how to quit smoking:

Develop a quit plan to prepare to quit smoking that includes choosing a quit date, telling loved ones you are quitting, removing reminders of smoking, identifying your reasons for quitting and recognizing your smoking triggers.
Utilize quit lines for 24/7 free coaching, quit plans, educational materials and referrals to local resources
- 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887)
- 1-800-45-NO-FUME (1-800-456-6386) (en Español)
Sign up for an app to help you quit with tailored tips and inspiration. Try the quitSTART App.
Talk to your healthcare provider about medications such as nicotine replacement products or prescription non-nicotine medications that have been found effective in helping people quit.
Identify social support or counseling services. Counseling and medication are both effective for treating tobacco dependence and using them together is more effective than using either one alone.

Additional Resources

Visit www.bchd.org/resources for health-related information and referrals or call BCHD’s Assistance, Information and Referral Line at (310) 374-3426 and press option 1, Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health: The Substance Abuse Prevention and Control program leads and facilitates the delivery of a full spectrum of prevention, treatment and recovery support services proven to reduce the impact of substance use, abuse and addiction in Los Angeles County.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Youth and Tobacco Use
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: You(th) and Tobacco
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Promoting and implementing prevention and early intervention strategies to reduce the impact of mental and substance use disorders in America’s communities.
Torrance Memorial Quit Smoking Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
SmokeFree.Gov
California Smoker’s Helpline
L.A. Quits
Become an Ex
Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit