The mission of the Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC), following our funding renewal in June 2024 from the Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, has been refined to reflect the data gathered in our first 5 years. When first created, the NCPC aimed to gather, understand, and promote the thoughts and feelings of rural California residents on tobacco and cannabis policy, via large scale surveys across 11 counties of the San Joaquin Valley and adjoining mountains.
As we look to the next 5 years, we aim to embolden community partners and share policy-influencing data in the long battle against the pervasive use of tobacco and other inhalants, helping work towards reducing tobacco-related diseases and deaths in this overlooked and underserved region of rural California.
The center will continue to be at the forefront of examining the impacts of tobacco and cannabis use, while also engaging local residents through community workshops to gather feedback, which in turn can help develop new and existing tobacco and cannabis policies. The NCPC's success relies on our close collaborations with San Joaquin Valley county health departments and community-based organizations.
The Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center (NCPC) is part of the Health Sciences Research Institute (HSRI).
The NCPC is partnering with several key community organizations in the San Joaquin Valley. Click the logos below.
The NCPC will work closely with CDPH members and local Public Health Departments to identify crucial policy issues within the 11 counties and help with research recruitment and disseminating our findings.
The California Health Collaborative is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Fresno, committed to enhancing the quality of life and health of people in California, particularly the underserved and underrepresented.
The Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Capacity Building Project aims to build the capacity of school-based TUPE programs across the state by using a collaborative approach to highlight model programs and best practices, share resources, and support data-driven continuous improvement efforts.
Click the links for NCPC related news or stories utilizing our expertize.
COVID-19 News
What concerns me the most about smoking and vaping now, is the vaping - the E-cigarettes. Those are flavored and they makes kids think that its OK, because it's flavored. A lot of people don't see danger in things that look and tastes good. They don't know how deadly or addictive it could be.
- Necola Adams, Merced Resident.
Please review the attachments below for information in both English and Spanish, summarizing the emerging literature on COVID-19 and the effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure. The literature is evolving as research on COVID-19 is rapidly emerging and disseminating; these reports and fact sheets will be updated regularly. Click the Images for the full PDF and watch the Retro Report documentary featuring Dr. Anna Song:
To get the latest information on COVID-19 and the association with tobacco, vaping & secondhand smoke, click the button below
NCPC MERCED OFFICE, SOCIAL SCIENCE & MANAGEMENT BUILDING
Editor's note: This story is republished from the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of UC Merced Magazine. Walk across UC Merced’s campus on any weekday, and you might hear laughter spilling from a classroom...
A new UC Merced major arrived just in time for Tyrese Francis. When the student starts his third year at the university this fall, he will dive into coursework for a degree in business administration...
UC Merced is abuzz with celebration as students, families, friends, staff and faculty finish last-minute preparations for the largest commencement in university history. Across three outdoor...
