Tobacco

Mission

The mission of the Shasta County Tobacco Education Program is to keep tobacco products out of the hands of youth, help tobacco users quit, and assist all people to live, work, and play in a tobacco free community.

General Information

Tobacco flavors mask the harsh taste and entice youth to try tobacco products. There are more than 15,586 tobacco flavors on the market; with product names that are fun and innocent like "Gummy Bear", "Bubblegum" and even "Cotton Candy".

Shasta County has a growing number of tobacco retailers (including vape shops) (CDTFA). In 2021, Shasta County had 202 tobacco retailers (CDTFA). As of 2022, Shasta County has 216 stores and growing (CDTFA). Having a higher density of tobacco retailers is associated with greater tobacco use (Ackerman, 2017). In 2020-2021, Shasta County conducted 52 tobacco retailer visits with a tobacco decoy under 21 years of age: 14 citations were issued. Lower density of tobacco retailers results in reduced smoking prevalence among young people and helps aide in keeping tobacco products out of the hands of youth (Ackerman, 2017).

Second and thirdhand smoke (toxic residue leftover from tobacco smoke that sticks to surfaces and dust) is a health hazard, especially for children, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases. 15 million US children between the ages of 3 and 11 are exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke in their own home. Smoke travels through tiny cracks, crevices, outlets, and exposes those in adjacent units. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Many Shasta County multi-unit  housing complexes (e.g. apartment complexes or duplexes) have voluntarily adopted smoke-free policies as a way to protect their residents and to reduce renovation costs and lower risks of fires.  

Kids should grow up without the tobacco industry poisoning their childhood.

Join the Tobacco Education Coalition today to see how they are working to protect the youth in our community.

Services Offered

• Cessation Resources
• Educational Presentations
• Skill Building Trainings
• Smoke-Free Signage
• Tobacco Compliance
• And Many More!

Resources

Tobacco Compliance

The public may call the Shasta County Tobacco Violation Hotline at 530.225.5052 to report a smoking, tobacco sale violation or file a secondhand smoke complaint.

If you are unable to find what you need on our website, please don’t hesitate to contact the Tobacco Education Program at 530.229.8469.