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Corte Madera, CA Passed the 1st Tobacco Sales Ban Without Exemptions
The Sale of All Tobacco and Nicotine Products will Phase Out
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 – Last night, Corte Madera, in Marin County, California made history by passing a comprehensive, life-sustaining, and life-saving tobacco policy – a complete end-of-sales policy for all tobacco and nicotine products, except FDA-approved cessation aids. Corte Madera’s end-of-sales ordinance will become enforceable on February 1, 2027.
“Corte Madera has our full support as they become global leaders in public health,” said Laurent Huber, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health. “The new standard has been set, and it’s time for more cities, states, and countries to follow Corte Madera’s lead in prioritizing their citizens’ lives over the profit of the tobacco industry.”
This ordinance is the logical next step to address the fundamental problem that exists: commercial tobacco and nicotine products are still being sold.
Corte Madera Councilmember Pat Ravasio, who championed the ordinance from the outset, explained, “Since our federal and state governments have been unable to stop Big Tobacco’s onslaught against our community’s health, local governments have to lead. It was time for Corte Madera to step up for local youth who were pleading with our Council for protection against aggressively marketed products directly targeted at them — conventional products such as cigarettes and cigars, and new, more addictive, more discreet products – all that clearly harm their health. By setting this example for other towns and cities, we hope that together we can all eventually achieve a tobacco-and-nicotine-free society.”
“Our Corte Madera teens and community members championed this long-overdue effort to improve our community’s health and our environment. Together, we called on our Town Council to protect our community from the relentless tobacco and nicotine industry, and the Council took a stand,” said Dr. Jeremiah Mock, Corte Madea resident and Professor at the University of California San Francisco. “Through the pandemic, we’ve seen that businesses can pivot. We are confident they can end their addiction to easy, ill-gotten profits from selling tobacco and nicotine. Building on the pioneering efforts of Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, Tiburon, and Ross, we in Corte Madera urge other communities in Marin County and throughout California, the nation, and the world to take the strongest possible stand to promote health and protect environments.”
Commercial tobacco and nicotine products remain the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, in large part because these products kill when used exactly as intended. No overuse or misuse is required to cause devastating harm. No other consumer good could be sold with a death toll of about 8.6 million annually worldwide.
Corte Madera Councilmember Eli Beckman also noted at the September 15th Council Meeting that all community members share the exorbitant healthcare costs associated with tobacco use, regardless of their own use. Tobacco products are a burden on every facet of the community.
One key element noted in the Town Council’s Staff Report: “The ordinance would not prohibit personal possession, purchase, or use of tobacco or nicotine products by individuals and would preserve the ability to sell FDA-approved tobacco and nicotine cessation products when marketed and sold solely for that approved purpose.”
Corte Madera Vice Mayor Fred Casissa noted, “I was truly inspired and moved by the high school students with whom I had the opportunity to speak and get their insight and thoughts on the issue of young adults and tobacco. What hit me the most is that our youth are getting addicted to tobacco at a young age, with no understanding of the long-term effects. Hopefully what started out as a grassroots effort can take hold and spread throughout the country.”
This ordinance, along with measures to help those who are addicted to nicotine become nicotine-free will be a major step in achieving better health for all Californians.
For nearly a decade, ASH has worked with communities, governments, and public health leaders around the world to advance tobacco endgame policies, including phasing out the sale of commercial tobacco products. Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, CA led the fight for stronger tobacco endgame policies and now Corte Madera is demonstrating what’s possible.
ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
Founded in 1967, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is America’s oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to a world with ZERO tobacco deaths. Because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, ASH supports bold solutions proportionate to the magnitude of the problem. https://ash.org
