Florida Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Florida. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Florida's elected officials:

During the 2025 legislative session, the Florida legislature had several tobacco and vaping bills filed for consideration. The most notable action was on heated tobacco products. Representative Chase Tramont and Senator Nick DiCeglie filed House Bill 785 and Senate Bill 1418, respectively, to add a new category of products to the state tobacco control statute that would have been exempt from tobacco taxes. Prior to the bills moving in committee, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations issued a declaratory statement supporting that heated tobacco products do not meet the current classification of products that would be subject to tobacco taxes. The legislation did not move; however, heated tobacco products will not be subject to state tobacco taxes when marketed in Florida due to the agency's declaration.

Senator Gruters sponsored Senate Bill 226 intended to update the definition of smoking in Florida's Clean Air Act to prohibit the smoking of marijuana in public places. This legislation would have also weakened the existing public health protections in the law by exempting the smoking of unfiltered cigars. The legislation did not pass.

Several Florida lawmakers also filed a few bills related to non-approved disposable nicotine dispensing devices. These bills appeared to be in response to federal regulations of e-cigarettes as well as the state's implementation of the nicotine dispensing devices directory. These bills did not pass.

The American Lung Association was able to protect funding for Tobacco Free Florida and ensure the total Fiscal Year 2026 program budget of $89.6 million. The Tobacco Free Florida program is committed to providing a variety of free services to assist individuals with smoking cessation. In addition to the $13.6 million allocated for quitline services, the program dedicates an additional $9.8 million for in-person cessation counseling.

In 2026, the American Lung Association will advocate for coverage of comprehensive cessation benefits for Medicaid recipients. The Lung Association will continue to advocate for local control of tobacco prevention and control policies to ensure that communities can respond to the needs of their community through policy change. The Lung Association will also continue to educate on the need to enact a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing program that includes e-cigarette retailers focused on strong regulation with an annual licensing fee for all retailers, annual compliance checks and enforcement.