Kansas Highlights

How does your state compare?

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

  1. Remove the exemption for casinos to the state's Indoor Clean Air Act;
  2. Increase state funding for tobacco control programs and ensure that funding is spent according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) best practices; and
  3. Oppose all forms of preemption of local tobacco control authority.
While the 2025 session of the Kansas legislature was very active regarding healthcare access legislation, for example, just two bills regarding tobacco were introduced. One bill would have added e-cigarettes to products available in tobacco vending machines in Kansas. The bill was heard in the House Federal and State Committee, but no vote was taken to move the bill. The second bill removes the exemption for casinos in the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act. The House bill was assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee, but no hearing was held. The Senate Federal and State Committee held a hearing, but no vote was taken to move the bill.

With federal funding from CDC withheld from the state for several months, the budget process became an essential avenue for continuing support for the state's Tobacco Use Prevention Program. Kansas is part of the JUUL settlement and those dollars are considered part of the core funding for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The Lung Association and tobacco coalition partners testified to the House and Senate subcommittees asking the state to maintain the redirect of JUUL settlement dollars from the General Fund to Smoking Prevention Grants within KDHE and increase the overall funding for these programs. The funding was maintained in the final FY2025 and FY2026 budgets signed by the Governor.

When the 2026 Kansas Legislature convenes for a new session, the Lung Association in Kansas will continue to work with partners to remove the casino exemption in the state's Indoor Clean Air Act. The Lung Association will also continue to advocate for increases in state funding for tobacco control and prevention activities while also ensuring that all future payments of the Juul settlement be specifically directed to the same purpose.

Further, the Lung Association anticipates ongoing efforts by the tobacco industry and its allies to pass preemptive legislation that stops local communities from passing stronger tobacco prevention policies. We will continue to work to preserve local control, protecting the ability of cities and counties to establish tobacco control policies that fit their communities.

Kansas Facts
Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking: $1,128,040,688
Adult Smoking Rate: 13.90%
Adult Tobacco Use Rate: 23.10%
High School Smoking Rate: 4.60%
High School Tobacco Use Rate: 14.90%
Middle School Smoking Rate: N/A
Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year: 4,390
Adult smoking and tobacco use data come from CDC's 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; adult tobacco use includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. High school smoking and tobacco use rates are taken from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. A current middle school smoking rate is not available for this state.

Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.

Kansas Information

Learn more about your state specific legislation regarding efforts toward effective Tobacco Control.

State Grades Report Laws & Policies Historical Data