U.S. FEDERAL ISSUES

The federal government must provide strong leadership in the fight against tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death in the United States.

After a long battle, Congress and President Obama in 2009 enacted a new law giving the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco products and marketing.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids was a leader in the fight for this law and is working to ensure it is vigorously enforced.

The Obama Administration also has launched the first national tobacco control strategy, which calls for a public education campaign and other actions to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from harmful secondhand smoke. It is critical that the plan be robustly funded and effectively implemented.

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Key Federal Issues

  • FDA Authority Over Tobacco Read More

    A landmark 2009 law gives the FDA authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products

  • Graphic Warning Labels Read More

    New law requires large, graphic cigarette warnings, but tobacco companies fight change to protect profits

  • National Tobacco Control Strategy Read More

    Learn more about the Administration's plan to reinvigorate efforts to reduce tobacco use

  • Health Care Reform Read More

    New law bolsters disease prevention and expands coverage for quit-smoking therapies

  • Federal Tobacco Taxes Read More

    Higher tobacco taxes reduce smoking, raise revenue and are popular with the public

  • Internet Tobacco Sales Read More

    The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act bars the illegal sale of tax-evading tobacco products over the Internet

  • Trade and Tobacco Read More

    Tobacco products should be excluded from trade agreements

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U.S. STATE AND LOCAL ISSUES

Tobacco use takes a huge toll in health, live and dollars in every state.

Tobacco costs state taxpayers billions each year in Medicaid and other health care expenses and imposes enormous costs on families and businesses.

State and local governments often have been in the forefront of the drive to reduce tobacco use, save lives and save money. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids works to put proven solutions in place in every state and community.

Go to the State and Local Issues section

 

The Toll of Tobacco in the U.S.

 

Key State and Local Issues

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Tobacco use killed one hundred million people worldwide in the 20th century. Without urgent action, it will kill one billion people in the 21st century.

An international treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, requires nations to implement proven measures to reduce tobacco use.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids supports governments and non-governmental organizations around the world in promoting and implementing these policies. We are a partner in the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use, which focuses on low- and middle-income countries where more than 80 percent of tobacco-related deaths will occur in the coming decades.

International Resources
Visit our international website to find multilingual resources.
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Toll of Tobacco Around the World
Get the latest data on tobacco's devastating impact on health, lives and the economy.

Tobacco Control Laws
Explore tobacco-control laws and litigation from around the world.

 

Key International Issues

  • Advertising and Promotion Read More

    Bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship reduce tobacco use, especially among youth

  • Illicit Trade/Smuggling Read More

    International and national policies are needed to combat the illicit tobacco trade, which harms public health and global security and costs governments billions

  • Light and Low-Tar Cigarettes Read More

    Nations must stop the marketing of cigarettes as "light" and "low-tar," which falsely promotes some cigarettes as less harmful

  • Public Education Campaigns Read More

    Aggressive campaigns prevent children from smoking, help smokers quit and change public attitudes

  • Smoke-Free Laws Read More

    There is a fast-growing global movement to adopt 100 percent smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces and public places

  • Taxation & Price Read More

    Higher tobacco taxes reduce smoking, save lives and increase revenues

  • Warning Labels Read More

    Large, graphic warning labels increase knowledge of health risks and influence decisions whether to smoke

 

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TOBACCO INDUSTRY WATCH

For decades, the tobacco industry has marketed its deadly products to kids, deceived the public about the harmful effects of tobacco use and fought proven measures to reduce tobacco use.

In a landmark 2006 U.S. federal court ruling, the big cigarette makers were found to be racketeers who engaged in a deadly fraud.

Despite marketing restrictions and the imposition of new Food and Drug Administration regulations, the industry continues to try to thwart the law.

And it has redoubled its promotion of tobacco products around the world, targeting low- and middle-income countries with limited resources to deal with its deadly products and deceptive marketing.

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