According to the results released earlier this month by the California Tobacco Survey, San Benito County has one of the lowest rates of smoking among rural counties. The report, which was released by the California Department of Public Health, shows that San Benito has a prevalence of 12.1%, that percentage is down from 15.9 in 1999. City officials say the new findings can be attributed to an ordinance which requires a retailer licensing fee to sell cigarettes to prevent the sale to minors, along with a voluntary smoke-free policy at county migrant camps.
