California Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in California. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by California's elected officials:

During the 2025 legislative session, the American Lung Association in California aligned with coalitions and public health partners to continue to protect the public and youth from harmful tobacco products. Assembly Bill 573 (Rogers) was passed, which increases retailers annual tobacco license fee from $265 to $450, to provide additional funding for enforcement of tobacco product sales laws, including the law restricting the sale of flavored tobacco. The bill also requires the Legislative Analysts Office, the Department of Tax and Fee Administration, and the Office of Youth Tobacco Education to submit a report to the Legislature on the adequacy of funding for the tobacco retailer licensing program and the rate of retailer inspections.

A broad coalition, including advocates, researchers, pharmacists and pharmacy school students worked tirelessly to educate lawmakers on Assembly Bill 957, which would prohibit pharmacies from selling tobacco products. Although the bill was held in committee, it will be reconsidered in 2026. The Lung Association will continue to work with partners to advance the bill.

Assembly Bill 455 (Ortega) was signed into law, making California the first state to require sellers of residential properties to disclose known tobacco or nicotine residue and any history of smoking or vaping on the property. The new law adds information on thirdhand smoke to the environmental hazards chapter of homebuyer materials.

Assembly Bill 988 (Hadwick) would classify vape pens confiscated in schools as household hazardous waste to ensure proper handling and disposal. This bill was held in committee and will be reconsidered in 2026.

In addition to state laws enacted, localities continued to adopt tobacco control policies addressing tobacco product waste, retailer density, smoke-free multi-unit housing, smoke-free outdoor spaces, and smoke shops. These efforts at the local level collectively move California closer to the state's goal of ending the tobacco epidemic by 2035.

Notably, Marin County became the first county in the state to prohibit the sale of heated tobacco products and established a minimum price of $12 per pack for most tobacco products, with scheduled increases every two years. The towns of Ross and Tiburon joined Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach in implementing a prohibition on the sale of almost all tobacco products. Santa Cruz County will become the first in the state to prohibit the sale of filtered cigarettes beginning in 2027.

As California continues to be a leader in passing tobacco control policies at the local level, we continue to see tobacco industry interference and misinformation about nicotine harm reduction.

In 2026, the American Lung Association and its partners will continue educating lawmakers, advocating for sustainable funding for the California Tobacco Control Program, and advancing policies that protect public health and move the state closer to ending the commercial tobacco epidemic by 2035.