Michelle Zimmerman
Associate Director, Regional Media Advocacy
Health Advocates Urge Lawmakers: Fund Programs to Reduce Tobacco Use in West Virginia
West Virginia Lawmakers Can and Must Do Better Now to Protect West Virginians' Health
March 11, 2026
CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Today, tobacco control advocates held a press conference at the Capitol calling on lawmakers to allocate funding for tobacco use prevention and programs to help those already addicted quit. They stated that West Virginia can and must do better, and now, before the end of the session, is the time to take meaningful action.
“Big Tobacco has been dominating West Virginia for generations. These companies aggressively market their products to young people, effectively creating lifelong customers with an addiction to deadly products, with no end in sight,” said Ava Marie Johnson, a high school student advocate. “Every single family across West Virginia is struggling under the burden of tobacco in some capacity. Nearly every one of us has a personal experience, a story, like the loss of a loved one from a tobacco-related disease.”
At the press conference, speakers called on lawmakers to pass House Bill 5691, which would allocate $2.9 million from the JUUL settlement to programs that help prevent tobacco use and help those already addicted quit.
West Virginia has an opportunity to address the youth tobacco use epidemic and protect our middle and high school students from deadly and addictive tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. A well-funded tobacco cessation and prevention program is essential to provide the support needed to help people quit and to prevent kids and young adults from starting to use tobacco.
West Virginia currently has the highest adult smoking rate in the country, over 28.5% of high school students use tobacco products and 37.8% of cancer deaths in the state are caused by cigarette smoking. West Virginia can and must do better.
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