Iowa Highlights

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

Within the Iowa General Assembly, legislation (House File 781) to close the longstanding casino loophole in the Smokefree Air Act gained momentum and successfully passed out of the House Commerce Committee. In addition, a Senate committee advanced a bill that would establish a tax on e-cigarettes (vapor products) in Iowa. Health advocates urged lawmakers to include an increase to the cigarette tax—which has not been raised since 2007—but unfortunately, it was not added to the bill.

Advocates actively opposed legislation (House File 1035) that would have exempted smoke-less tobacco products from tobacco taxes, which failed to pass out of its second committee in the House. With growing legislative interest in strengthening tobacco control policies, including HF781 and the proposed e-cigarette tax, the coming year presents a critical opportunity to advance Iowa's tobacco prevention efforts and further public health protections.

The landscape of tobacco prevention in Iowa has shifted significantly over the past year, presenting both challenges and opportunities for public health advocates. As of July 1, 2025, the longstanding Iowa Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Commission, along with the state's standalone tobacco prevention program, were eliminated as part of a broader reorganization of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. In response, the Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance—of which the American Lung Association is an active member—has regularly engaged partners to strategize around sustaining and advancing tobacco prevention efforts in Iowa communities. These efforts aim to ensure that the reorganization does not undermine the decades of progress made in reducing tobacco use and protecting public health across the state.