New workplace smoking laws

Publication Date: 2016-05-13

• Author:Sara Boyns
• Publication:Monterey County Herald

On May 4, Gov. Jerry Brown signed five new bills related to smoking. Two of these laws change some of the rules relating to smoking in the workplace.

No smoking >> In California, smoking tobacco products in an enclosed space at a place of employment has been unlawful since Jan. 1, 1995. Assembly Bill X2-7 (Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley) expands Labor Code Section 6404.5 to prohibit smoking in owner-operated businesses, and to eliminate most of the exemptions that permitted smoking in certain work environments, such as hotel lobbies, bars and taverns, banquet rooms, warehouse facilities and employee break rooms...

Vaping and e-cigarettes >> SBX25 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, effective Jan. 1, 2017, classifies e-cigarettes as tobacco products. Therefore, the provisions of Labor Code Section 6404.5 that prohibit smoking in enclosed spaces in the workplace will now extend to vaping and e-cigarettes...