Advocacy and Public Policy

How we are making a difference…

Breathe Southern California actively works to ensure that all Southern California residents are breathing clean air and protecting and improving their lung health. We engage elected and appointed officials, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders to ensure that we as a state and a region are making meaningful improvements in our air quality. Select a menu below to learn more about our campaigns, our legislative efforts, our coalition work, and projects. Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding our advocacy work, please contact the Advocacy & Policy department at advocacy@breathesocal.org

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State & Local Advocacy

  • According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), over 90 percent of Californians breathe unhealthy levels of one or more air pollutants during some part of the year. In 2020, across the basin that includes the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino, there were 157 bad air days for ozone pollution – the most days above the federal health standard since 1997. Cars, trucks, ships, trains, and other vehicles play a major role in the poor air quality we experience throughout Southern California. 

    At Breathe Southern California we are advocating for a transition to clean technologies, such as zero-emission and hydrogen-powered vehicles, to benefit both residents and the environment of our region. Through our End Diesel Now campaign, we are working to phase out the use of diesel fuel. Diesel exhaust exposure leads to serious health conditions like asthma and cancer, and can worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly. 

    By phasing out the use of diesel, we can transition to cleaner and more effective technologies that are safer for people and better for the environment. 

    You can learn more about our End Diesel Now campaign here.

  • Big Tobacco is working to addict a new generation of smokers, this time through e-cigarettes that contain nicotine and utilizing candy-like flavors to attract younger smokers. While it is well known that smoking can cause many health issues including cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Studies have shown that using e-cigarettes also increases an individuals chances of developing asthma and COPD. 

    Breathe Southern California is at the forefront of advocating to ban the sale of flavored tobacco throughout Southern California. As a member organization of L.A. Families Fighting Flavored Tobacco, we have worked to pass ordinances that ban the sale of flavored tobacco in and throughout L.A. County, including localities such as the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills, Carson, Long Beach, Pasadena, and West Hollywood. And our work on this important issue continues throughout Southern California. 

    Breathe Southern California applauded the passage and signing of SB 793 (Hill, 2020), which banned the sale of all flavored tobacco products in California. The legislation was widely supported and passed the Legislature with almost no opposition, but Big Tobacco spent millions to try to prevent it from taking effect. In the 2022 election, California voters upheld the statute and it is now in effect statewide! 

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Coalitions

  • We work to ensure local jurisdictions have strong regulations against the sale of flavored tobacco products. We are also working to ensure that SB 793, California’s state law that ends the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide, stays on the books with a “YES” vote in November 2022.

     Learn more about L.A. Families Fighting Flavored Tobacco.

  • CAFA works to shape local, regional, and state policies to reduce environmental triggers of asthma among school-aged children where they live, learn, and play.

  • A group of environmental and public health organizations are working to ensure the California Air Resources Board enacts stricter regulations regarding commercial crafts. We demand a broad and swift transition to zero-emissions harbor crafts as quickly as possible.

  • The Asthma Coalition of Los Angeles County is a collective, powerful voice for policy and systems change to prevent, minimize, and manage the burden of asthma.

  • The Chronic Care Policy Alliance is a coalition of public health organizations that work together to ensure gaps in chronic care are bridged through policy advocacy and reform.

  • Other informal coalitions that Breathe Southern California is proud to be a part of include various legislative coalitions to pass strong bills in Sacramento and local coalitions such as those intended to serve populations in disadvantaged communities.

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Projects

  • In 2025, Breathe Southern California worked to create and facilitate a coalition focused on wildfire smoke mitigation and preparedness. Exposure to wildfire smoke has a significant public health impact, often leading to increased emergency room visits, asthma flare-ups, and other respiratory ailments. Through coalition building, stakeholder engagement, and research, we created the “Advancing Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in California” White Paper (link). This White Paper will help guide our efforts to ensure California’s are less impacted by smoke.  

  • In 2021, the Port of Hueneme received funding from the California Energy Commission to develop a blueprint for a zero-emissions Port of Hueneme. Breathe Southern California is helping in the development of a zero-emissions blueprint for the Port of Hueneme by engaging stakeholders in Ventura County to determine what stakeholders would like to see in a zero-emissions blueprint. The work includes meeting with stakeholders, producing a stakeholder engagement report, disseminating relevant information to stakeholders, and producing a community outreach report. 

  • Breathe Southern California is working in the communities of West Long Beach, Carson, and Wilmington to reduce and eliminate medium- and heavy-duty trucks from idling in our neighborhoods and communities. The work includes engaging residents on potential truck idling solutions, educating truckers on the public health and environmental harms of idling, and improving the enforcement mechanisms in place for trucks that idle. 

  • Transitioning diesel trucks to clean trucks is a top priority, and there is incentive funding available for small and large fleets to convert their dirty trucks to clean alternatives, including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks. Breathe Southern California works to ensure fleets know what opportunities exist by promoting incentive funding through social media, advertising and marketing, and direct engagement with small and large fleets. 

Together, We Can Clear the Air.

Through strategic advocacy, coalition partnerships, and community engagement, Breathe SoCal works to shape policies that reduce pollution and strengthen public health across Southern California.

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