HARRISBURG, PA — The American Lung Association’s latest “State of Tobacco Control” report assigns failing grades to Pennsylvania for its tobacco control efforts, spotlighting the urgent need for stronger public health measures. Released this week, the 2025 report evaluates state and federal policies aimed at reducing tobacco use, which remains the leading cause of preventable death in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania earned failing grades for funding state tobacco prevention programs, tobacco taxes, and efforts to end the sale of flavored tobacco products, including menthol. It also received a D for its smokefree workplace laws and access to quit-smoking services.
“In addition to grading Pennsylvania’s tobacco control policies, this year’s ‘State of Tobacco Control’ report examines the tobacco industry’s increasingly aggressive actions to addict a new generation to tobacco and hinder proven public policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use,” said Elizabeth Hensil, Advocacy Director, PA, WV at the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania. “Here in Pennsylvania, we are seeing tobacco industry lobbyists at the local level working to stop or weaken proven tobacco control policies.”
The report calls on state lawmakers to preserve funding for comprehensive prevention and cessation programs, close loopholes in the Clean Indoor Air Act, and end the sale of all flavored tobacco products. Despite receiving over $1.3 billion in tobacco settlement payments and taxes, Pennsylvania allocates just 14.8% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended funding for tobacco control initiatives.
“In 2025, policymakers in Pennsylvania must focus on preserving state funding for comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs, closing loopholes in Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act, and ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes,” said Hensil.
Nationally, the Lung Association’s report also graded federal efforts, awarding an A for public education campaigns such as anti-tobacco mass media but a D for regulation of quit-smoking treatment coverage and an F for federal tobacco taxes. The association urges Congress to bolster the FDA’s resources to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes and similar youth-targeted nicotine products.
With tobacco use causing thousands of deaths annually in Pennsylvania, the report emphasizes that stronger public health policies are essential to curbing the widespread impact of tobacco on individuals and communities. To learn more about this year’s “State of Tobacco Control” grades and sign the petition, visit Lung.org/sotc.
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