Yes, smoking in California is down to 9% of the overall population. With Covid, more people saw how important respiratory issues, including second-hand smoke, were all exacerbated by coronaviruses which can kill people in days.

While attending Solano Pride meetings I heard about LGBTQ Minus Tobacco, which is fighting for smoke-free areas and enforcement of tobacco licenses being taken away from retailers who sell to minors. We also know that Big Tobacco is trying to suggest that vaping is safe, even though they are specifically targeting a new generation of nicotine addicts by flavoring the nicotine. It is far from safe to become nicotine addicts at this time.

One of the opportunities I had to stand up for the rights of those who are a victim of passive smoke was to speak at the recent special session of Vallejo’s City Council where the City Council set an agenda of priorities. I spoke during the public comment section as a resident of Vallejo that multi-unit housing should have an ordinance that they become smoke-free, lest minors and others in adjoining units suffer from the smoke of their neighbors with whom they share walls and who are downstream from patios and such. Many cities in the Bay Area already have such ordinances.

It appears that Mayor O’Donnell seemed to take this seriously and we hope that this is adopted, as it is to protect people, especially those who are more likely to live in poverty with less medical coverage and less opportunity to get out of these multi unit dwellings where they might be exposed. I’m very proud to be able to contribute in ways like this.