Cities in Stanislaus County given poor marks for tobacco control, secondhand smoke

The American Lung Association suggested that cities in Stanislaus County, and county government, should make more of an effort to reduce tobacco-product use and provide smoke-free air for residents.

An annual report card released Wednesday gave them “D” and “F” grades overall for tobacco control efforts, though Modesto, Turlock and Hughson earned bonus points for improvement over the previous year.

The Lung Association’s 14th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report said that tobacco products other than cigarettes are undermining efforts nationwide to reduce death and disease caused by the toxins in tobacco smoke.

Harold Wimmer, the group’s president, expressed concern that the number of young people using e-cigarettes and minicigars is at an all-time high. “With almost a quarter of high school students still using tobacco products, it’s important that the states and the federal government take more aggressive action to reduce all tobacco use – the No. 1 cause of preventable death and disease in our nation,” Wimmer said.

The association urged the Obama administration to follow through with giving the Food and Drug Administration authority over all tobacco products.

In California, more than 16,000 young people began smoking in the past year, and more than 220,000 in ages 14 to 17 are smokers. The state received a failing grade from the Lung Association, which criticized its limited funding for tobacco prevention programs and its 87 cents per pack tobacco tax, which is 35th in the nation.

The report gave higher grades to cities if they have ordinances that restrict smoking in apartment buildings and outdoor areas, or require licensing of stores that sell tobacco products.

The overall grade was an “F” for Modesto, Ceres, Oakdale, Patterson, Newman, Waterford and Stanislaus County’s unincorporated area, and a “D” for Turlock, Riverbank and Hughson.

Riverbank had the highest marks in the county in 2013 for its tobacco retailer licensing and restrictions on where cigarettes can be sold, but is not a standout in the latest report.

The Stanislaus cities, except for Newman and Waterford, were given credit in the 2016 report for smoke-free playgrounds and picnic areas. But they fell short on controlling secondhand smoke around restaurants, at public events and outside of the workplace.

Secondhand tobacco smoke is implicated in health problems for infants and children, and increases the risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke and lung cancer in adults.

Modesto, Ceres, Turlock, Patterson, Hughson and the county earned points for their smoking restrictions in laundry rooms and other common areas of housing complexes.

Amy Vickery, spokeswoman for Modesto, said the city is not ignoring the objective to reduce the amount of secondhand smoke that people breathe. As an example, the city’s transportation division is getting ready to put “no smoking” signs at its 850 bus stops.

Modesto broadened its smoking ordinance in December to prohibit smoking in the Transit Center and bus stops. The definitions of smoking were updated to include e-cigarettes and marijuana in anticipation of statewide initiatives in November to legalize cannabis.

“The city considers tobacco control important in protecting the health of our community, especially our children,” Vickery said. “We are working on many levels to create a safer, healthier way of life in our city. ... Certainly as a state and as a city, we have a long way to go but it is encouraging to see that the (Lung) Association recognizes improvements that are being made in our region.”

Kinisha Campbell, representing the county Health Services Agency, said the fad of electronic smoking devices is one target of Protecting Health and Slamming Tobacco, or PHAST, an education program geared for students. The program uses peer models at local schools to inform teenagers about the health risks of tobacco use.

Some of the county’s anti-smoking education has targeted child care providers, she added.

Campbell said she was not aware of any decreases or changes in the level of smoking cessation programs or anti-tobacco education in the county.

According to 2012 data, almost 18 percent of adults in Stanislaus County were smokers, above the statewide rate of 14 percent. A 2012 survey found that 563 stores in the county sold tobacco products, and 16 percent of them were located near schools.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Cities in Stanislaus County given poor marks for tobacco control, secondhand smoke."