Loma Linda Scores Big in Lung Association Rankings

San Bernardino County had a poor showing in the American Lung Association’s annual State of Tobacco Control with one shinning exception, Loma Linda.

The report grades cities and counties on how successful they are at keeping residents from the dangers of second-hand smoke. The grades are based on tobacco control laws and regulations in effect as of Jan. 2, according to association officials.

Amid the string of D and F grades listed in the report, Loma Linda stands out as the only B in the group. It was the only city with a grade above a D.

“It’s no surprise,” said T. Jarb Thaipejr, Loma Linda’s city manager. “Loma Linda is a healthy community. We are a blue zone.”

A Blue Zone has been described as a city or region where lifestyles help people live long, healthy lives. This comes easy for Loma Linda, home to a large Seventh-day Adventist community, Thaipejr said.

“Members of the Adventist community don’t smoke,” he said. “They don’t generally drink. Generally, the majority of residents follow a strict vegan diet.”

The daily city population is also made up of physicians, all who are well aware of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, Thaipejr said.

Loma Linda’s health and safety code addressing second-hand smoke pretty much says it all: “For all purposes within the jurisdiction of the city, nonconsensual exposure to secondhand smoke in violation of this chapter is a nuisance, and the uninvited presence of secondhand smoke on property in violation of this chapter is a nuisance and a trespass.”

Simply put, there are very few places in Loma Linda you can smoke without running afoul of the law.

Loma Linda does allow people to smoke in most private residences, except homes used as a licensed child or health-care facilities.

Smoking is permitted in 22 percent of hotel and motel rooms.

Designated open areas in shopping center common areas can be “smokers outposts” under some circumstances.

You may smoke in privately owned outdoor areas as long as it does not put non-smokers at risk. And residents may smoke inside a privately owned vehicle as long as a minor is not in the car, according to city code.

The America Lung Association has been grading states for some 10 years, said Terry Roberts, area director for The American Lung Association, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

This was the first year the American Lung Association in California graded the states 480 incorporated cities and towns and 58 counties, instead of focusing on the state as a whole, Roberts said.

This year’s results will provide a baseline they can use to compare future years, Roberts said. They will be able to track progress, she added.

The report card is “a call to action. People need to get involved if they want to see the smoke disappear,” Roberts said.