Fact-Based Tobacco Control Policies: How Does Your State Measure Up?
A progress report on state legislative actions to reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related cancer.
Excluding Cigars Undermines Public Health
December 18, 2025
All cigars, including large cigars, cigarillos, and little cigars pose a serious threat to Americans’ health, with 10.2
million U.S. adults reporting current cigar use in 2022. Yet, these products remain less regulated than other tobacco
products, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Policy loopholes often leave cigars out of evidence-based tobacco
control measures: cigars are frequently taxed at lower rates than cigarettes, cigars are often exempted from
smoke-free laws, and flavored cigars are not covered by existing federal flavor prohibitions. These exclusions
provide opportunity for the tobacco industry to aggressively market cigars to young people and at-risk communities.