Maryland Highlights

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

During the 2025 legislative session, the American Lung Association in Maryland partnered with other public health partners to advance a bill that closed a loophole and gave authority for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannibals Commission (ATCC) to seize other tobacco products. The Lung Association and its partners also defeated an attempt to undermine Maryland's Clean Indoor Air Act by expanding cigar bars across the state, as well as attempts to divert Cigarette Restitution funding from the 1998 tobacco Master Settlement Agreement to other programs outside of tobacco control and prevention efforts.

In fiscal year 2023, the tobacco prevention and cessation program received a much-needed increase of $8.25 million as a result of the Lung Association and partners advocacy for an increase in the tobacco tax, bringing funding to a dedicated $18.25 million. During the 2025 legislative session through the budget process, the state determined that the allocation could be a mix of state and federal funding. The Lung Association and its partners expressed concern with including federal funding in the projections due to future federal tobacco prevention funding uncertainty. We will continue to voice this concern in 2026.

In 2024, the Clean Indoor Air Act was updated to include e-cigarettes. An amendment to the bill added a provision that a work group would be convened to determine the feasibility of permitting cigar lounges. The work group includes legislators, the Maryland Department of Health, and representatives from the cigar industry. The American Lung Association will continue to advocate that Maryland's strong clean indoor air laws be protected and permitting cigar lounges would undermine efforts to protect Marylanders from exposure to dangerous second-hand smoke.

Since 2013 and the court ruling in Altadis v. Prince George's County, Maryland has had strong preemption rules in place restricting local governments from acting locally on tobacco sales and distribution. The Lung Association will continue to partner with stakeholders to address statewide legislation which would allow local governments to pass and enforce their own tobacco control laws.

The American Lung Association in Maryland will continue to educate lawmakers on the ongoing fight against tobacco. Our goal is to build champions within the legislature and grassroots advocates to advance our goals which include protecting Maryland's strong Clean Indoor Air Act and funding for tobacco prevention and cessation.