Two Orange County cities are considering separate ordinances to ban single-use plastic bags. If approved, Dana Point and Laguna Beach would be the first two cities in the OC to put in place such a ban, similar to a ban already implemented in Los Angeles County and cities within LA County. more ›

Nicotine lovers, take heed: the UC system is banning smoking and chewing tobacco on all ten of its campuses altogether starting in 2014. The ban, reports the San Francisco Chronicle, is intended to reduce students' and faculty's exposure to second-hand smoke, but it's also to reduce the number of kids who take up smoking in college. more ›

Smokers who enjoy lighting up with a drink or after a meal on the patio of West Hollywood restaurants are going to have to butt out for good starting Sunday, when a ban in such spaces goes into effect. more ›

If you live, work, or, most importantly, shop in unincorporated Los Angeles County, reusable shopping bags should be on your holiday wish list, because the ban on single-use plastic bags expands to include smaller stores effective January 1, 2012. more ›

L.A.'s proposed ban on single-use shopping bags was postponed by city lawmakers on Friday who have requested further studies be conducted on the ban's economic impact. The requested analysis will help the city determine if they will make the bold move of banning all single-use shopping bags or mirror bans enacted in other cities that ban single-use plastic bags but still offer single-use paper bags for a tiny fee. more ›

At a City Council meeting last night, officials in Laguna Hills voted to ban registered sex offenders from the area's parks, reports NBC Los Angeles. The ban will apply to the city's 15 parks, and possibly to private parks as well. more ›

The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that cell phone use while driving should be banned while driving. The NY Times reports, "The recommended ban applies to hands-free devices, a recommendation that goes further than any state law to date." more ›

As part of the continued effort to ban single-use bags in Los Angeles, Heal the Bay has dubbed Thursday, December 15 "Day Without A Bag." The event is appropriately timed, as L.A. City Council is expected to move forward with a sweeping ban on single-use shopping bags next week. more ›

Beverly Hills is still working away at getting a plastic bag ban in place, and Patch checked in with officials there to see how long it's going to be before a ban is in the bag. more ›

Today Councilman Jose Huizar will announce he plans to join with community activists and seek a full ban on the businesses, because a recent court decision will create severe limitations on how the City of Los Angeles can "effectively regulate" those medical marijuana operations. more ›

After months of hairy debate, West Hollywood has become the first U.S. city to ban the sale of fur apparel products. City Council voted 3-1 in favor of the fur-free ordinance on Monday night. The vote was the last step in banning sales of clothing made from the skin or pelt of animals with hair, wool or fur. more ›

West Hollywood has taken the fur-free reigns and may soon become the first U.S. city to impose a sales ban on fur. City Council approved a modified version of a ban on the sale of clothing made from the skin or pelt of animals with hair, wool or fur on Monday. more ›

They call it "Operation Boo" and it's been happening since 1994: On Halloween night, California's sex offenders out on parole are "rounded up and kept indoors" from 5 p.m until 5 a.m. November 1. Additionally, while inside, the parolees may not turn on external lights or decorate their residence's exterior for the holiday. more ›

Things are getting rough for smokers in Hermosa Beach -- a new ordinance has banned them from sucking down their beloved carcinogens in any outdoor place that people congregate, according to the Daily Breeze. The new regulation, which was approved by the town's City Council in a 4-0 vote on Tuesday night, is expected to go into effect on March 1, 2012. more ›

The Glendale City Council is looking at implementing a plastic bag ban that mirrors the one already in place for unincorporated Los Angeles County. The push to force businesses and shoppers to utilize bags that are more eco-friendly, in particular reusable bags, has been strong in the Los Angeles area for the past few years. more ›

West Hollywood fur fanatics, you've been granted an extension to purchase your pilose products. WeHo City Council delayed final approval of the proposed ordinance to ban the sale of fur apparel, which was tentatively approved on September 20, on Monday night. more ›

Gentlemen and the parents of baby boys in California, you are free to do as you wish with the penises in your purview when it comes to circumcision. Specifically, you will not be subject to a ban on the act of male circumcision, thanks to Governor Jerry Brown signing into law a bill that bans the bans on foreskin removal. more ›

Our days of being able to legally consume foie gras (fattened duck liver) in California are waning, and as the enforcement of the statewide ban nears, chefs who love the delicacy are making the most of it. more ›

West Hollywood residents, get your fur-trimmed purses while you still can: the West Hollywood City Council has taken the initiative to ban sale of fur one step further, and approved a first reading of the ordinance. The initial proposal to ban fur sales in the city was approved on Tuesday at a city council meeting, after hours of debate. more ›

It's time to raise your glass for a toast in appreciation to Governor Jerry Brown, who today signed into law SB 32, the bill that ends a decades-old ban on infused spirits in the state. more ›

If fur trim and fur coats rub you the wrong way, you might consider moving into West Hollywood. The city last night set the stage to become the first in the nation to ban the sale of fur, according to L.A. Now. The West Hollywood City Council heard pleas on both sides of the issue in a debate that went from yesterday evening to the early hours of this morning, according to NBC Los Angeles. more ›

California became the first state to ban foie gras back in 2004, but the law will not be enforced until next year. In July 2012, "duck liver cannot be served throughout the state if the duck was force fed, which is the method used by duck raisers for the liver to become fatty," explains AHN. Not all chefs are on board with the ban, though. more ›

Shoppers, your 6-month grace period is over: Tomorrow begins a life of BYOBag for shoppers in Santa Monica, as the city's Single-Use Carryout Bag Ban goes into full enforcement September 1. Under the ban, all 1,900 Santa Monica retailers are prohibited from giving customers single-use plastic carryout bags. more ›

A warning to all those for whom the temptation to let their fingers do the talking while driving is impossible to resist: If Governor Jerry Brown signs SB 28 into law, failing to go hands free while you're at the wheel could soon cost you more than twice as much in fines. Bonus: The bill extends the ban on illegal cellphone use while you're in charge of two wheels. more ›

A judge in Orange County ruled that Anaheim's ban on dispensaries doesn't conflict with the 1996 state law that legalized medical marijuana, the Los Angeles Times reports. But the group that filed the case, Qualified Patients Assn., plans to appeal the court's decision. more ›

Although cities and counties in California are creating legislation to ban the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags by stores and restaurants, one group has seen to it California's students will read a section in their textbooks about the positives about the bags. more ›

Huntington Beach City Council members - including Connie Boardman, Devin Dwyer and Joe Shaw - voted 4 to 3 on Monday for the city to enact an ordinance banning single-use plastic bags, reports Huntington Beach Independent. more ›

Taking a cue from a recently-implemented ban in unincorporated Los Angeles County, and other local cities like Long Beach and Santa Monica, Burbank appears poised to be the next to ban plastic bags at retail stores. more ›

After nearly two years of vetting their legal right to do so, Glendale has banned medical marijuana dispensaries as of Tuesday night, reports Glendale News-Press. more ›