New Report Reveals Wisconsin Must Focus on Raising Wisconsin's Legal Age of Sale for Tobacco Products to 21 to Reduce Death and Disease from Tobacco Use

A new report from the American Lung Association urges Wisconsin lawmakers to focus on raising Wisconsin's legal age of sale for tobacco products to 21 to reduce the overwhelming human and financial burden of tobacco use. The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate tobacco use and recommends proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies to prevent nicotine dependence and protect kids.

In the 2025 report, Wisconsin received the following grades:

1. Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs – Grade F
2. Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws – Grade B
3. Level of State Tobacco Taxes – Grade D
4. Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco – Grade F
5. Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products – Grade F

“In addition to grading Wisconsin’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 Molly Collins, Director of Advocacy at the American Lung Association in Wisconsin. “Here in Wisconsin, we are seeing industry lobbyists working to stop or weaken proven tobacco control policies. The industry is also introducing new products that appeal to youth like e-cigarettes that mimic smartphones, kid-friendly flavors and flavored nicotine pouches that are heavily marketed by social media influencers.”

Collins added: “In 2025, policymakers in Wisconsin must focus on raising Wisconsin's legal age of sale for tobacco products to 21, protecting the statewide smokefree air law and creating tax parity between e-cigarettes or vaping devices and cigarettes.”

The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and the emissions from e-cigarettes are not safe. It is critical to protect Wiconsin's comprehensive smokefree law, which eliminates smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, and protects workers across the state from deadly secondhand smoke. In fact, the 2024 Surgeon General report found that nationally, 19,000 people die from secondhand smoke each year.

Federal Grades Overview

The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report grades the federal government in five areas:

• Federal Government Regulation of Tobacco Products – Grade C
• Federal Coverage of Quit Smoking Treatments – Grade D
• Level of Federal Tobacco Taxes – Grade F
• Federal Mass Media Campaigns to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use – Grade: A
• Federal Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco Products to 21 – Grade: A

The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report urges Congress to provide additional funding to the FDA so they can enforce against and remove all illegal e-cigarettes the tobacco industry has introduced to the market. To learn more about this year’s “State of Tobacco Control” grades and sign the petition, visit Lung.org/sotc.

Get involved and help the mission of the American Lung Association. The Fight For Air Climb Milwaukee is coming up on Saturday, March 1. Learn more at FightForAirClimb.org/Milwaukee.

State grades in “State of Tobacco Control” reflect actions taken by elected officials and do not reflect on the hard work of state tobacco control programs or advocates.

Media Resources:

• B-Roll is available here:
  • Tobacco Products: Broll TobaccoProducts. American Lung Association.mp4 | Powered by Box
  • E-Cigarettes: Broll Ecigarettes. American Lung Association.mp4 | Powered by Box
• American Lung Association logos are available here: Media | American Lung Association