Capitola Votes to Ban the Sale of Filtered Tobacco Products

September 12, 2025

Save Our Shores celebrates a bold new step in coastal stewardship: yesterday, the Capitola City Council voted in favor of an ordinance banning the retail sale of filtered tobacco products within city limits.

This victory builds on ongoing efforts by Save Our Shores, Santa Cruz County, The Cigarette Surfboard, and allied organizations like the Tobacco Education Coalition to tackle the number one item found at our coastal cleanups—the cigarette butt. Filters made of cellulose acetate are non-biodegradable, soak up toxins like arsenic and lead, and when discarded wash into storm drains, litter our beaches, and poison marine ecosystems.

“We applaud Capitola’s leadership,” said Katie Thompson, Executive Director of Save Our Shores. “By banning the sale of filtered tobacco products, Capitola is taking decisive action to protect our beaches, wildlife, and public health. This is exactly the kind of bold policy we need to safeguard our ocean for future generations.”

Why This Matters

• Save Our Shores volunteers removed over 15,000 cigarette butts from
  Capitola beach and public areas over the past decade
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data show smoking-
  related waste makes up almost 25% of shoreline debris in the Monterey Bay
  region
• Filters leach toxic microplastics and chemicals into marine environments, where
  they imperil wildlife and degrade habitats
• The County-wide filtered tobacco ban will take effect only when at least two
  cities within the county—including Capitola—have passed similar laws, making
  Capitola’s vote a critical trigger for enforcement beginning in 2027

Next Steps

Following yesterday’s unanimous vote, the ordinance will go into effect in July 2027 in Capitola.

Santa Cruz City and County have already passed similar ordinances that will now go into effect in January 2027.

With Capitola joining Santa Cruz City and County, the “Ban the Butt” campaign is poised to transform regional policy—and inspire other coastal communities to follow suit. Save Our Shores looks forward to advancing this momentum toward a future where coastal plastic waste is drastically reduced.

About Save Our Shores

Founded during the grassroots effort to halt offshore drilling in the early 1980s, Save Our Shores is dedicated to protecting and restoring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Through advocacy, education, and hands-on cleanups, we champion policies that keep our ocean and coastline healthy, inclusive, and thriving.

Media Contact

Katie Thompson, Executive Director
Save Our Shores
katie@saveourshores.org