Tobacco

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting children by preventing tobacco and nicotine addiction. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, killing over 480 thousand people in the United States annually. And nearly nine in ten daily smokers start smoking before they turn 18.

As a result of litigation by California and many other states against the major tobacco companies, several tobacco manufacturers have agreed to restrictions on their marketing practices and to pay billions of dollars annually to the states. The Tobacco Unit in the Healthcare Rights and Access Section holds the tobacco industry accountable by enforcing requirements contained in that agreement, ensuring the industry complies with California law, and providing funding to local law enforcement agencies to enforce state and local law.