Rhode Island Highlights

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

During the 2025 Rhode Island legislative session, the American Lung Association weighed in on many tobacco-related bills related to cessation, funding, youth access, and more. The General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2026 state budget that provided level funding for the Tobacco Control Program, far below the CDC's recommended level. Two industry-led bills gained momentum this year, one of which would have brought flavored e-cigarettes back onto the market in Rhode Island. The other would have reduced taxes for certain tobacco products including heated tobacco products. After strong pushback both bills were successfully defeated prior to adjourning session. After tremendous effort and a multi-year campaign, the General Assembly passed smokefree casino legislation that was originally intended to make the state's two casinos fully smokefree; however, in the final days of session, the bill was passed with a detrimental amendment that allows open-air smoking lounges through the casinos.

Tobacco Free Rhode Island (TFRI), a grant previously funded through the Department of Health and administered by the Lung Association, had all grant funding eliminated in April 2025 as a result of the elimination of CDC's Office on Smoking and Health. Prior to grant funding being eliminated, the TFRI staff successfully led Rhode Island's statewide youth tobacco movement, co-hosted a statewide vaping conference for educators and school administrators, and ran a robust network of working groups focused on policy, cessation, and mitigating health disparities. TFRI also provided funding to ten Rhode Island schools as part of the Vape-free School Initiative to move forward model smokefree school policy, implement alternative to suspension programming and provide youth quit support.

In May 2025, the Lung Association led a Day of Action alongside state partners at the Rhode Island State House. The day included over 200 advocates gathering at the State House for a rally with casino employees, union representatives, medical professionals, legislator champions, and youth. Following the rally, advocates found their legislators on the House and Senate floor to educate them on the importance of smokefree casinos and adequately funding tobacco control and prevention.

Looking ahead to 2026, the American Lung Association calls on Rhode Island policy makers now more than ever, to adequately fund tobacco control efforts at or above the CDC-recommended level to ensure all Rhode Islanders are protected from a lifetime of tobacco dependence and disease.