A report card issued on Tuesday by the American Lung Association of California has revealed that Oakland is ranked as the best state regarding the problem of anti-tobacco laws. The city garnered an overall grade of B for its municipal policies related to smoke-free outdoor air, smoke-free housing and efforts to reduce sales of tobacco products.

As for the other major cities in California, San Francisco earned an overall grade of C, while San Jose got a D. Oakland has more than 2,400 tobacco retailers and last year it passed the nation's toughest tobacco retail licensing fee, a $1500 one. Furthermore, it's the only city that asks landlords and condo sellers to tell prospective residents where they can and can't smoke in buildings. Oakland requires all common indoor and outdoor areas to be non-smoking.

Other areas, like the Alameda County, seem to have had a drop in the rate of smokers from 1993 to 2005. Last year, San Francisco was the first city in the country to ban the sale of tobacco in pharmacies. Changes seemed to happen throughout the state, but the changes in Oakland have really satisfied its inhabitants, as clouds of smoke no longer enshroud restaurants and coffee shops.

However, Oakland's war on tobacco is far from won. On Tuesday afternoon, a number of smokers lit up in the shadow of City Hall, as smoking is not permitted in the downtown plaza area. It's getting harder and harder to find places to smoke, and that's always a good thing. Smoking rates nationwide have declined over the past 30 years as a result of various factors, including strong smoke-free laws and higher cigarette taxes. Tobacco kills nearly 393,000 Americans a year.