Tobacco Control

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Tobacco products are projected to kill one billion people worldwide this century. And the industry is showing no signs of slowing down, spending more than $9 billion on marketing each year. 

Despite the industry's deceptive and deadly practices, ACS CAN continues to have enormous success passing local, state and federal laws that prevent children from smoking, help adults quit and ensure the government uses its authority to regulate tobacco industry practices.

While our work has had an enormous impact on youth cigarette use - now at historic lows - the use of e-cigarettes among kids is skyrocketing.  This further reinforces the importance of continuing this lifesaving work.

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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

September 8, 2025
National

Tomorrow, the House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the draft FY26 appropriations bill approved on September 2 nd by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. The bill includes an increase in funding for cancer research and cancer prevention and control programs.

June 25, 2025
Ohio

Ohio Had an Opportunity to Generate Revenue, Protect Kids and Save Lives

June 11, 2025
Ohio

Ohio Still Has an Opportunity to Generate Revenue, Protect Kids, and Save Lives

May 8, 2025
New York

This week, New York state leaders released details on the state budget for FY 2025-26 and patient advocates are responding with disappointment over the failure to produce solutions to improve New Yorkers’ access to paid leave and, with it, their financial mobility. The same advocates visited Albany last month for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) annual Cancer Action Day to promote the importance of Senate Bill 172/Assembly Bill 84, the proposal to improve New Yorkers’ access to time off during treatment which now has 73 Assembly co-sponsors and passed the Senate in March.

Tobacco Control Resources

Significant tobacco tax increases are one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help adults quit. Substantial increases in cigarette tax rates also generate new revenue. In fact, every state that has significantly increased its cigarette tax has also boosted its state revenue - even after accounting for revenue loss due to beneficial declines in cigarette purchases resulting from the tax increase. 

Flavors are a marketing weapon the tobacco manufacturers use to target youth and young people to a lifetime of addiction. The use of any flavored tobacco product among youth is concerning because it exposes them to a lifetime of nicotine addiction, disease, and premature death.

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.