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Enforcement Of California's Landmark Tobacco Law Likely To Be Spotty At First

By Kenny Goldberg / Health Reporter

Contributors: Katie Schoolov / Video Journalist

Published May 10, 2016 at 1:53 PM PDT

This story was published more than 8 years ago.

Enforcement Of California's Landmark Tobacco Law Likely To Be Spotty At First

Enforcement Of California’s Landmark Tobacco Law Likely To Be Spotty At First

California’s law raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21 takes effect in less than a month. Will the state be ready?

California has less than a month to get ready to implement its new law raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on May 4. It takes effect on June 9.

The food and drug branch of the California Department of Public Health will take the lead in enforcing the law. It's supposed to issue signage requirements and get materials to retailers.

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Debra Kelley, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial counties, believes it will be tough for the agency to get everything ready by the June 9 start date.

“It’s going to be perhaps a little messy, but we’re happy to have a slightly messy situation that we can clean up and make work in order to save so many lives," Kelley said.

According to the CDC, nine out of 10 cigarette smokers started before they turned 18 years old.