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.

Take Action

Smoke

Urge the FDA to say "no" to Big Tobacco's use of flavors in their products!

For years, Big Tobacco has used flavored products and predatory marketing practices to lure kids and communities of color to their deadly products. This needs to stop. 

Latest Updates

December 13, 2023
Ohio

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) condemns the House for not standing up for the health of Ohioans and putting our children at greater risk of becoming Big Tobacco’s next customers. Instead of offering solutions to address the health of our residents, lawmakers have now limited what local governments can do to prevent people from starting to use tobacco and help people quit.

December 13, 2023
National

Today, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network joined 21 groups representing millions of cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, to send a letter to the White House supporting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed rules to eliminate the sale of menthol in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars.

December 6, 2023
National

Nearly two years after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its proposed rules to eliminate menthol in cigarettes and all flavors in cigars, the administration/White House announced today it will further delay release of final rules. Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), released the following statement:

November 10, 2023
Tennessee

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – Elected officials across the state must do more to support residents of Tennessee who want to quit using tobacco products, according to cancer patients, survivors and advocates who are marking the American Cancer Society’s 48th annual Great American Smokeout® on November 16, a day for people who use tobacco to create a plan to quit.

Tobacco Regulation and Products Resources

All tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, are unsafe. Heated tobacco products involve heating rather than burning the tobacco leaf, which is why the tobacco industry refers to them as “heat-not-burn” or non-combustible cigarettes. These products differ from e-cigarettes which heat a liquid.

ACS CAN calls on the administration to finalize FDA’s rules to prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars immediately. There is no scientific rationale for permitting any flavored tobacco product to remain on the market. To end cancer as we know it for everyone, tobacco use must be addressed and cannot be done without prohibiting the sale of menthol flavors and all flavored cigars.

When faced with mounting evidence that tobacco tax increases effectively reduce tobacco use, tobacco manufacturers will try to distract policymakers from the material facts by invoking dire warnings of reduced revenue due to increased illicit activity including widespread smuggling and other organized crime that they claim will result from increased taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products.