Local Tobacco Regulation

Federal regulation and state laws are only part of the story. Local laws, which tend to be stronger and more comprehensive than corresponding state laws, also dictate how and where tobacco products are sold, who can sell and use these products, and where they can be used.

According to published reports, there are now more than 2,216 municipalities in the United States with smoking restrictions. Of them, 461 stipulate a total ban on smoking in private workplaces, government buildings, restaurants and/or bars.

Additionally, hundreds of localities across the country have adopted restrictions on the sale of cigarettes through vending machines, and more than 100 localities have limited the distribution of tobacco product samples. More than 50 local governments restrict or prohibit displays of tobacco products that permit customer access without the assistance of a clerk.

To illustrate how broad local ordinances regarding smoking can be, consider the following examples:

• In Mesa, Ariz., it is illegal to smoke in just about every outdoor place where the public congregates.
• In Boca Raton, Fla., smoking by city employees is banned, even in their own homes.
• Many cities in California have passed or are considering ordinances banning smoking at beaches and parks.
• In Putnam County, N.Y., smoking is not permitted at the public lakeside beach.

From seed-bed to sales counter to usage, federal, state and local tobacco laws make cigarettes among the most highly regulated products in the nation.