Tobacco Control

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Tobacco products are projected to kill one billion people worldwide this century. And the industry is showing no signs of slowing down, spending more than $9 billion on marketing each year. 

Despite the industry's deceptive and deadly practices, ACS CAN continues to have enormous success passing local, state and federal laws that prevent children from smoking, help adults quit and ensure the government uses its authority to regulate tobacco industry practices.

While our work has had an enormous impact on youth cigarette use - now at historic lows - the use of e-cigarettes among kids is skyrocketing.  This further reinforces the importance of continuing this lifesaving work.

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Protect our Children from Big Tobacco

The tobacco industry has preyed upon young people by marketing products that appeal to kids.

Latest Updates

April 2, 2025
West Virginia

Cancer Advocates Gathered at the Statehouse Today to Say West Virginia Can and Must Do Better to Reduce the Burden of Tobacco

April 1, 2025
New Hampshire

The decision to cut funding to our state tobacco control program is an extremely costly and unnecessary road to take. Any short-term savings are dwarfed by the staggering toll tobacco use takes on our economy and our health care.

April 1, 2025
Oregon

SALEM, Oregon –– Cancer patients, survivors, teen advocates and others from throughout Oregon asked legislators on Tuesday to stop the tobacco industry from targeting our kids by passing Senate Bill 702 and ending flavored tobacco and menthol sales. “We have to take common-sense action to curb youth tobacco use,” American

March 26, 2025
National

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Dr. Marty Makary as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Tobacco Control Resources

Comprehensive tobacco retailer licensing laws can reduce the harmful impact of the tobacco retail environment by regulating where and how tobacco retailers can operate and sell tobacco products as well as providing the licensing entity the authority to ensure tobacco retailers are complying with all applicable tobacco control laws.

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against major tobacco manufacturers Philip Morris USA, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard, and Altria to hold the industry accountable for more than 50 years of conspiring to defraud the public in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Big Tobacco, an industry which has for decades knowingly addicted and endangered the lives of millions of Americans for their own profit, must now post the truth about their deadly products, including at the point-of-sale (POS) for approximately 220,000 tobacco retailers.

The tobacco industry has a history of using litigation to avoid and delay laws and regulations enacted to safeguard the public. ACS CAN, with our tobacco control partners, has also relied on the courts to hold Big Tobacco accountable and to ensure the federal government is effectively implementing the Tobacco Control Act.