San Diego gets a terrible grade in the American Lung Association's latest report card on tobacco control. The city received a "D" for allowing smoking in outdoor dining areas and on sidewalks.
The report card grades cities in a variety of categories, including smoke-free outdoor air, and reducing sales of tobacco products.
The Lung Association's Debra Kelley said nearly all of the cities in San Diego County got poor grades. But Solana Beach and El Cajon did well.
"They both have enacted really strong tobacco retailer licensing laws," Kelley said. "They both have very comprehensive smoke-free air laws in place, and so, outdoor dining areas, entryways, and even sidewalks are smoke-free in those communities."
Kelley said the vast majority of California cities have done nothing to protect apartment dwellers from second-hand smoke. She pointed out that issue remains a political hot potato.
