Attorney General Bonta Announces Funding Availability for Local Governments Through the 2023-2024 Tobacco Grant Program

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is now accepting proposals for the 2023-2024 Tobacco Grant Program. The program aims to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco products, particularly to minors, by providing approximately $24.6 million in grant funding to eligible local agencies. Local public agencies are encouraged to apply if they require funding to enforce state and local laws related to the illegal sale and marketing of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to minors.

“DOJ is all in on the fight to protect California's youth from harmful and addictive tobacco products,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Our law enforcement partners play an invaluable role in this fight, enforcing state and local tobacco laws that safeguard the health of their communities. The Tobacco Grant Program provides valuable resources and tools to aid them in these efforts. Together, we can build a healthier and happier California.”

Tobacco use is the number one preventable killer in the United States. Smoking-related illness accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in California. Nicotine, a key component of cigarettes and most e-cigarettes, has been found to be highly addictive and harmful to the developing brains of children and young adults.

The California Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program aims to reduce childhood addiction to tobacco products by supporting local partners who:

• Enforce the statewide retail flavor ban and similar local retail flavor ordinances;
• Prosecute and penalize retailers who sell or market tobacco products to youth under the age of 21, including over the internet;
• Educate and inform tobacco retailers on state and local tobacco laws; and
• Investigate and inspect retailer licensing compliance.

The program is funded by Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016. To date, the Tobacco Grant Program has distributed approximately $170 million in grant funding to approximately 371 grantees through a competitive process.

For more information about the grant application process or qualifications, please visit oag.ca.gov/tobaccogrants.