Smoke-Free North State -
California Health Collaborative
Our Mission:
Smoke-Free North State advocates for smoke-free entryway policies for the cities of Orland and Chico. Chico and Orland, located in Butte and Glenn County, has a diverse range of businesses and residents. From downtown Chico to small-town mom and pop stores in Orland, we aim to protect our community from the health hazards of secondhand smoke. Smoke-free entryways benefit businesses by maintaining an open and professional atmosphere. We strive to educate and inform local elected officials and law enforcement on the dangers of secondhand smoke, and pass a local policy designating a 20-foot buffer of smoke-free air around business entryways and windows.
The Orland City Council adopted a Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Ordinance in February of 2012, which includes smoke free entryways, smoke free parks with designate areas, and smoke free outdoor dining. The City Council’s adoption of an ordinance regulating secondhand smoke followed a request by a group of Orland High School students called S.W.A.T, or Students Working Against Tobacco. S.W.A.T has been working for nearly two year with the Smoke Free North State and American Lung Association to help educate Orland residents that drifting cigarette smoke outdoors is still harmful and cigarette butts discarded by smokers are toxic to the environment.
The Chico City Council adopted a smoke-free entryways ordinance in October 2012 that will go into effect in December of 2012. The ordinance bans smoking 20 feet from all business entryways, with an exception for smokers who are actively passing by on the way to another destination. The City Council’s adoption of an ordinance regulating secondhand smoke followed a request by a group of Chico students called K.L.E.A.N., or Kids Leading Everyone Against Nicotine which has been working for nearly two years with the California Health Collaborative’s Smoke Free North State and the American Lung Association’s Fresh Air Chico programs to educate Chico residents that outdoor secondhand smoke outdoors is harmful.
Facts:
*The Environmental Protection Agency classi¬fied secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen, putting it in the same category as asbestos and radon (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
*Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including nicotine, arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
*Exposure to secondhand smoke can have immediate health consequences, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, as well as asthma attacks and breathing problems for people with chronic lung disease (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
*Secondhand smoke kills nearly 3,000 nonsmokers each year from lung cancer in the United States and another 35,000 to 62,000 from coronary heart disease (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
*A field poll conducted by The Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing found that 82 percent of nonsmokers and 59 percent of smokers polled agree that workplaces should designate smoke-free areas around all business entrances (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
*A minimum 20-foot smoke-free zone provides a buffer around entryways, windows, and ventilation areas to reduce smoke exposure (TheCenter for Tobacco Policy and Organization, 2004).
Learn More:
Make the North State Smoke-Free Postcard
Make the North State Smoke-Free (Spanish)
Clearing the Air
Clearing the Air (Spanish)
Smoke-Free Entryways
Comprehensive Outdoor Secondhand Smoke Ordinances
California Cities with Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Ordinances
Vision for Tobacco-Free California
No-Smoking Sign for Entryways
Smoke-Free Policies:
Sample Company Smoke-free Policy
Model Ordinance Prohibiting Smoking in All Workplaces and Public Places
Model Ordinance Prohibiting Smoking in Outdoor Places of Employment and Public Places
Decision-makers and How to Reach them:
City of Chico
City Council: Mary Goloff (Mayor), Scott Gruendl (Vice Mayor), Sean Morgan (Councilmember), Tami Ritter (Councilmember), Ann Schwab (Councilmember), Mark Sorense (Councilmember), Randal Stone (Councilmember)
Contact them via email at: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Download and send a sample letter of support to your local representatives by clicking here:
The Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California provides support for public agencies, nonprofits, municipalities, and schools with low cost tobacco education resources. Please visit us online Tobacco-Free Catalog at www.tobaccofreecatalog.com.
Contact Us:
If you have any questions or if you would like to get involved in Smoke-Free North State please contact Dolores Vasquez at the California Health Collaborative at:
Phone: (530) 345-2483 ext 210
Email: [email protected]
Check out our Facebook page by clicking the Facebook icon below!
1-800-NO-BUTTS
Call the California Smokers' Helpline, a telephone program that can help you quit smoking. Helpline services are free, funded by the California Department of Health.