ISSUE
Tobacco
Smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for one in five fatalities.
In the rapidly evolving tobacco market, e-cigarettes and newer vaping products are being marketed to appeal to new customers, targeting youth in particular. Local health departments are taking innovative approaches to fight tobacco use every day, saving countless lives.
Policy recommendations
Our policy recommendations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Congress focus on:
We need to take action on tobacco and nicotine
Read our policy brief We need to take action on tobacco and nicotine
Frontline Blog
Big city health officials push Biden Administration to eliminate menthol cigarettes
“A federal ban would have a much more significant impact than a local ban. It would help protect the health of people throughout the country, particularly in those communities that are preempted from regulating tobacco and in those where it is too challenging politically to impose these types of restrictions.” —Minneapolis Health Commissioner Damōn Chaplin
Member spotlight
Tobacco companies have aimed menthol cigarette marketing at Black communities for decades. Researchers estimate that removing menthol cigarettes from the market would prevent up to 654,000 smoking-related deaths over time, including more than 238,000 deaths among Black Americans.
Frontline Blog
How Columbus passed flavored tobacco restrictions
In 2019, more than a quarter of Columbus adults identified as smokers, and a third of the state’s high school students used e-cigarettes, which are driven by flavored tobacco. Learn how Columbus Public Health collaborated with more than 130 community organizations to advocate for flavored tobacco restrictions, which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
