New Jersey Highlights

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

In 2025, New Jersey increased its cigarette tax from $2.70 to $3.00 per pack, effective August 1, 2025. While this increase was not significant enough to have public health impact, it does lead to more revenue being directed to the state's tobacco control program, a small step forward. The state also raised taxes on vaping products, including a new 20 cent per milliliter tax on liquid nicotine and a 30 percent retail tax on container e-liquids. These changes were part of former Governor Murphy's fiscal year 2026 budget and are expected to generate additional revenue for public health initiatives.

The plight of New Jersey's casino workers has become a major statewide issue and has garnered national attention. Unfortunately, despite growing public support and sustained advocacy, the legislature has failed to act on bills that would close the loophole allowing smoking in casinos. Promises have been made and broken, and each delay has only strengthened the resolve of casino workers who continue to organize and demand action.

The organized interests in opposition to smokefree casinos use the tobacco industry's playbook, minimizing the health effects of employees who continue to be exposed to deadly secondhand smoke, while exaggerating economic arguments. Smokefree casinos are flourishing nationwide, including right over the state line in Philadelphia. The industry has tried to push forward “compromise bills”, which would continue to expose casino workers to secondhand smoke. These bills are non-starters, as they compromise the health of workers and fail to provide the protections the workers deserve.

As the 2025 legislative session ended, we held hope that the legislature would act during the lame duck period after the 2025 gubernatorial and legislative elections to protect casino workers from secondhand smoke. This did not occur, which is a profound disappointment to the hundreds of workers who have spent the years courageously advocating for their health and safety. However, with a new Governor and a newly elected Assembly taking office in 2026, there is renewed hope that New Jersey can finally deliver on its promise of a smokefree workplace for all and continue making progress on protecting New Jersey's residents from tobacco.