Capitola Receives Dismal Marks for Tobacco Control

If there's one thing to be learned from the American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control 2012 Report, it is this: Those cigarette receptacles on the Esplanade are simply not enough. 

The report grades all cities and towns throughout California on their tobacco policies, including control and prevention spending, the cigarette tax and smoke-free air. 

According to the report, "2011 was an abysmal year for state tobacco control measures across the country. Once a national leader in tobacco control policies, California now earns mixed results. ... Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California now ranks 33rd for its $.87 per pack tax, far below the national average of $1.46."

Capitola is following the trend set by the state, and received an overall D grade in the 2012 report. The biggest problem areas for the city are its lack of smoke-free housing and reduction of sales of tobacco products, for which Capitola received a D and an F respectively. Capitola's saving grace for its overall grade was the C it received for smoke-free outdoor air.

See the breakdown of Capitola's D grade in the table below.

The overall grade of D for Capitola comes from its total point value of three (see row 2), which is based on a point system that awards two points for the C for Smoke-Free Outdoor Air, one point for the D for Smoke-Free Housing and zero points for the F in Reducing Sales of Tobacco Products.

The numbers in the right column run on a zero to four scale, representing a rank, not a quantity of locations. For full scoring breakdown details, click here.

While a D is next to failing, Capitola residents can perhaps take solace in the fact the report gave F grades to 66 percent of California cities and towns. Capitola joins 16 percent of California (including Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley) with its D. Twelve percent of the state (including unincorporated Santa Cruz County) received a C. Just four percent (including Watsonville) earned a B. A miniscule two percent of California was given an A grade for its overall tobacco control.

Santa Cruz County's overall grade rose from the 2011 report to the 2012 report, thanks entirely to a reduction in tobacco sales in Watsonville and the unincorporated county. For that alone, the entire county's "Reducing Sales of Tobacco Products," grade improved from an F to an A.

To see the entire report, click here, and to check out town-by-town grades throughout California, click here.

What do you think of the tobacco environment in Capitola? Would you like to see changes made? Are you surprised to see that Watsonville is more lung-friendly than the rest of the county? Tell us in the comments!