Efforts toward reducing exposure to second-hand smoke in Grass Valley and Nevada City have not changed, according to the annual report card from the American Lung Association. The Association has given out the same grades for the fourth straight year. That includes a “C” for smokefree outdoor air, which includes parks, trails, and bus stops. The tobacco education coordinator at the Nevada County Health Department, Shannan Glaz, says she’s not surprised, given what she calls the strict guidelines of the group….

The Association says that grade won’t improve without new or expanded policies and ordinances. Both towns continue to get “‘F’s” for having no government ordinances requiring indoor smokefree apartments, condominium complexes, and common areas. But Glaz says that’s also misleading…

The grade is also not affected by individual housing owners having their own smoking bans. Meanwhile, the news continues to be better for local efforts to reduce tobacco sales to minors, with the Association giving us an “A”.