Earlier this year, the American Lung Association (ALA) released its 19th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report. This report evaluates federal and state government’s tobacco control laws and policies and serves as a roadmap for what they can do to eliminate the death and disease caused by tobacco use.
The 2021 report focuses on the importance of ending tobacco use amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke remain leading public health threats. Smoking increases the risk of the most severe impacts of COVID-19, making ending tobacco use more important than ever. This is especially important for those populations and communities who are most impacted overall by tobacco use and secondhand smoke–these populations are also facing a disproportionate burden from the pandemic.
The report assigns grades based on laws and regulations designed to prevent and reduce tobacco use in effect, as of January 2021. The federal government, all 50 state governments and the District of Columbia are graded to determine if their laws and policies are adequately protecting citizens from the effect of tobacco use.
The report includes:
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Key Findings
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State Grades
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Federal Grades
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The ALA’s State of Tobacco Control 2021 website also includes valuable resources including tobacco control facts and statistics, tobacco policy reports, media resources, e-cigarette resources and ALA’s 12-point Advocacy Plan.