But those on the front lines say it is important to get local police and sheriff departments involved in the effort. His association joined forces with the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the San Diego Vice Squad. In January they launched a comprehensive enforcement campaign to increase compliance among the few bars still violating the smoke-free workplace law. It features a print advertising campaign highlighting the benefits of smoke-free bars and promoting a complaint line to report bars that still allow smoking. In Sacramento, tobacco control advocates have been working closely with the city police and compliance rates there are high.
Police officers accompany inspectors on compliance checks.
But in the unincorporated county areas, enforcement strategies are still being developed. Some areas have policies developed, others are just beginning to talk about strategies. Most of the problems are with stand-alone bars. Data collected in San Diego showed that while only a third of the bars are stand-alone, they receive five times the number of complaints. More information on tobacco control.