Reducing Cancer and Strengthening Tobacco Control

Tobacco Prevention and Control Program –Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Funding ACS CAN will advocate to increase sustaining program funding for evidenced-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs at an increase of $10 million/year, only a percentage of the CDC recommended funding level of $63 million for Washington state. This program prevents kids from starting to use tobacco and helps those who are trying to quit.   

Tobacco Taxes –   As Washington works to identify funding strategies to reduce the budget deficit and to fund critical programs, ACS CAN will advocate to increase the cigarette tax by at least $2.00 per pack with a parallel tax on all other tobacco products including e-cigarettes. Increasing the price of cigarettes and all other tobacco products through regular and significant tobacco tax increases helps prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and helps support people who are trying to quit. $10 million of the revenue from the tobacco tax increase should be used to fund and sustain evidence-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs.  

Ending the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products, Including E-cigarettes and Menthol Cigarettes – Flavored tobacco products including e-cigarettes and menthol cigarettes are attracting a new generation of youth to deadly and cancer-causing tobacco addiction. In 2019, the CDC concluded that 31.2% of high schoolers currently use tobacco products and highlighted the availability of flavored tobacco products as a primary factor. ACS CAN supports ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products including but not limited to e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco.

Protecting the Clean Indoor Air Law – The U.S. Surgeon General has declared there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and exemptions for cigar bars or other tobacco retailers would take away the workplace protections that the people of Washington put into place in 2005 with the passage of Washington’s Clean Indoor Air Law. ACS CAN will oppose all measures to weaken the state’s clean indoor air law.