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

May 7, 2026
Oregon

SALEM, Oregon -- In a significant public health victory, the Oregon Supreme Court today issued a unanimous decision affirming Washington County’s 2021 law that ended the sale of menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products. The high court confirmed the Washington County Ordinance (WCO 878) is not preempted by

May 6, 2026
National

Late Tuesday, May 5th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the authorization of four new flavored e-cigarette products, including two non-tobacco, non-menthol flavors.

March 23, 2026
National

As new federal data show continued declines in youth tobacco use, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reject any effort to authorize new flavored tobacco products, including coffee, mint and cinnamon. Flavors have long been used by Big Tobacco to appeal to and addict young people to their deadly products.

February 10, 2026
South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – February 10, 2026 – As lawmakers evaluate House Bill 4303 and Senate Bill 519, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) urges them to vote against the bills, which would cause the state to lose money and hurt South Carolinians. ACS CAN regional government relations

Tobacco Regulation and Products Resources

In March 2026, FDA released the “Flavored Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Premarket Applications – Considerations Related to Youth Risk; Draft Guidance for Industry." Draft Guidance provides FDA's current thinking about the topic of the guidance. The undersigned public health, medical, civil righs and community organizations conclude that the Draft Guidance fails to recognize the well-established history of signficant variations in youth flavor preferences over time, often caused by regulatory decisions, and this fundamental flaw threatens to open the regulatory door to a wide array of FDA-authorized products that would appeal and be accessible to youth, without signficant countervailing health benefits to adults who smoke.

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
oppose orders authorizing this claim because Swedish Match has failed to meet the statutory standard for the following reasons:
1. FDA’s past authorizations of a similar claim for General Snus should not determine whether the pending applications for ZYN nicotine pouches are granted because the
Tobacco Control Act requires product-specific analyses.
2. Significant differences between ZYN and General Snus – in use rates, relevant toxicology, flavors, and marketing – clearly warrant different consideration.
3. The applicant’s reliance on the “Swedish experience” is misleading and of limited relevance.
4. The applicant did not submit sufficient data on consumer perception or behavior change related to the proposed modified risk claim and this specific product.

All tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, are unsafe. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) should be fully included in tobacco control laws to reduce tobacco use and protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke.