The San Francisco Tobacco-Free Coalition is a diverse grassroots coalition of health, youth-serving, and environmental agencies from around the Bay Area.

Tobacco-Free Coalition members prioritize and lead educational and organizing campaigns for a variety of tobacco control initiatives, including limiting availability and promotion of tobacco products, capacity building of community partners, cessation programs, Health Retail SF, and others. The diverse nature of the Coalition assures that the interests and needs of all the many different communities in San Francisco are considered and expressed before actions are taken.

The Tobacco-Free Coalition has successfully participated in the passing of several tobacco control ordinances in San Francisco. This has positioned San Francisco as a leader in tobacco control, international trade and environmental issues, and as a major metropolitan city with political influence. Some of the major policies that have been adopted as a result of the Coalition’s hard work include:

The banning of tobacco vending machines
Prohibition of tobacco and alcohol advertising on city property
Creation of smoke-free worksites and restaurants
Requirement of a tobacco retailers permit
Banning of smoking in common areas of multi-unit housing complexes and requiring the disclosure of where smoking is allowed by landlords
Prohibition of tobacco products to be sold at pharmacies
Smoke-free parks, outdoor events, and farmer’s markets
Addressing the proliferation of e-cigarettes with regulations on their use
Raising the minimum age of purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21

The Tobacco-Free Coalition has also taken its efforts beyond its borders in order to address the global pandemic caused by the tobacco industry.

For a more in depth look at the historical Actions of the Coalition and its partners.

Meet our Co-Chairs

Calyn Kelley, Coalition Co-Chair

Calyn Kelley is a native San Franciscan and graduate of the University of San Francisco’s Urban and Public Affairs Master’s Program. His family roots are within both Potrero Hill and Bayview Hunter’s Point. As the father of a 5-year-old son, Calyn feels that it is imperative to adequately prepare those youth who are considered most vulnerable to social risks factors such as adolescent tobacco abuse. Calyn believes that part of the preparation starts with diagnosing community health risks and then disseminating that information to those parents, community members, CBO’s and youth advocacy agencies that can develop and impact existing and future policy.  Along with his vice chair position with the San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition, Calyn works as the Program Director for Bay Area Community Resources’ Youth Policy Leaders program. The program focuses on policy development that raises awareness around issues of ‘minimum pricing’ and ‘tobacco discount prohibition’.

Chakoma Haidari, Coalition Co-Chair

Chakoma Haidari, MPH is the Northern California Grassroots Manager with the American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). Chakoma has her Master’s Degree in Public Health and has many years of experience in tobacco and cancer prevention. Her passion is also around health equity and eliminating disparities. Chakoma is excited to be the Coalition Co-Chair and to serve her community.

Bob Gordon, Coalition Emeritus Co-Chair

Bob Gordon, MPH, serves as Project Director for the California LGBT Tobacco Education Partnership. As a long time Co-Chair of the San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition, Bob helped organize San Francisco’s Menthol and Flavored Tobacco ordinance and San Francisco’s Tobacco 21 ordinance and previously was key to the passage of the first tobacco-free pharmacy ordinance in the United States. Mr. Gordon continues supporting the San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition in a new, advisory, Emeritus Chair role. Bob has been honored with a number of awards for his work, including the 2013 Community-Based Leadership Award from the Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Section of the American Public Health Association and the 2013 Community Activist Award from the American Legacy Foundation.

Tonya P. Williams, Coalition Emeritus Co-Chair

Tonya P. Williams –– Is working as a servant of the Almighty God of the universe. Tonya was born literally in an apartment in a New York City Housing Development. She was raised in an African American Christian home, orphaned by age four and raised by her Great Aunt who she affectionally called, “Grandma”. Tonya went on to complete her BS in Healthcare Administration in 1985 from Davis and Elkins College, Elkins, WV and in 2001 she completed her Master of Public Administration degree at Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA. Tonya has over forty years’ experience as a facilitator, administrator, and an advocate. Of those 40 years, twelve years she served as the Executive Director of the Girls After School Academy (GASA) located in San Francisco. She has been a member of the San Francisco Tobacco Free Coalition since 2002 and served as a co-chair from 2010-2017. Ms. Williams is honored to live the life that she has been called and created to give voice of to the intentional destruction of mankind for the purpose of capitalism. She has fought for/with people who have been traumatize-poverty, mass incarceration, HIV, domestic violence, mental disorders, people affected by targeting practice of industries: tobacco, sugar, and oil, inadequate housing and more importantly racial, abilities, gender, orientation whether sexual/identity and many deaths-suicides, homicides, preventable diseases, few, natural. Her goal is to live a life that her present actions will lead to a tapestry where future generations will not have to fight for basic human existence. Her hopes are to break every barrier that separates us as humans and for everyone to BE who they are created, because everyone else is taken and WE are Wired Differently the Proper Way (WD t PW), now go make Today awesome.

(Updated August 2023)