Santa Cruz County, California to implement ban on filtered cigarettes in 2027

By Tim Fang

California’s Santa Cruz County announced that sales on filtered cigarettes will be banned in 2027, which officials say is the first ban of its kind.

In a statement Monday, the ban is taking effect after the City of Santa Cruz approved a similar ordinance in June and the City of Capitola approved a ban earlier this month. The county’s Board of Supervisors initially approved the ordinance for unincorporated areas last October.

“Santa Cruz County is always at the forefront of making change. This policy adds to the legacy of our community standing up to big corporations to protect the health of our residents and our environment,” Supervisor Justin Cummings said.

The county said the ordinance is the first filtered cigarette sales ban in the world, which seeks to protect public health and the environment.

According to officials, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded annually, making it the single-most common form of litter on earth. Meanwhile, filters are not shown to provide health benefits to smokers.

“Cigarette butts are toxic, they’re useless and they’re everywhere. As the guardians of Monterey Bay, we’re standing up and telling Big Tobacco, this ends now,” said Supervisor Manu Koenig.

Ahead of the ban, the county’s Tobacco Education Coalition will provide outreach materials for retailers and the community.

Officials said the filtered cigarette ban follows other groundbreaking legislation implemented in the county, including restrictions on single-use plastics and a prohibition on Styrofoam. The county claimed such bans had “no lasting negative economic impacts.”

“This is just the beginning, and we look forward to supporting other communities who wish to join our effort,” Cummings said.

The City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County will begin enforcement of the ban on Jan. 1, 2027, while Capitola will enforce its ban starting on July 1, 2027.