Tobacco Regulation and Products

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In 2009, we won a hard-fought campaign that led to Congress passing a law granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and hookah. Yet, it took the FDA seven years to begin their oversight of many of these products with much more work left to be done. 

Recent spikes in the use of e-cigarettes makes clear that more must be done to regulate tobacco products and the industry's deceptive marketing practices.  We are working to ensure the government fully leverages the regulatory power it now possesses to protect children and adults. 

Tobacco use costs our nation nearly $300 billion in health care and productivity losses each year.

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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

June 21, 2024
National

Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dealt a blow to public health by authorizing the sale of four menthol e-cigarettes manufactured by NJOY LLC.

June 21, 2024
California

A tobacco retail licensing program takes effect to hold tobacco retailers in Clovis accountable for following state and local laws, by facing strong penalties, including fines, license suspension and revocation, if they fail to do so.

May 20, 2024
National

Nearly 20 years ago, a U.S. Federal District judge found that the major cigarette manufacturers violated civil racketeering laws for deliberately defrauding the public. Big Tobacco knew their products were harmful, and lied to the public for decades about the health risks and addictiveness of cigarettes and their targeting to

April 26, 2024

In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released proposed rules to eliminate menthol flavoring in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars. Almost two years later, the public health community is still waiting for the FDA to finalize these lifesaving rules. This inaction only benefits Big Tobacco, who continues

Tobacco Regulation and Products Resources

For decades, tobacco companies have used flavors, in cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, hookah, to lure and target youth and young people and expose them to a lifetime of nicotine addiction, disease, and premature death. Flavors, especially menthol, are known to improve the ease and use of a product by masking the tobacco’s harsh effects. ACS CAN urges lawmakers to protect public health, not Big Tobacco’s profits, by passing comprehensive tobacco control policies that apply to all tobacco products.

Big tobacco has a history of prioritizing corporate profits over people and communities burdened by tobacco-related illness and death. For decades, the tobacco industry has lied to specific communities and the public at large saying their products are not addictive, harmful or deadly. Tobacco manufacturers continue to create and flood the market with newly designed products they market as being less harmful and alternatives to quitting – a tactic that is not new.

While overall smoking rates have declined in recent years, smoking rates remain higher among specific populations, including people with limited incomes. These differences are in large part due to the tobacco industry’s targeted marketing through advertising, price discounting and other strategies. Every year the tobacco industry spends $9.1 billion in the United States marketing their deadly and addictive products.