South Carolina Highlights

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

After years of working with partners to fight the tobacco industry’s efforts to take away authority from local governments, the South Carolina General Assembly succumbed with the passage of House Bill 3681. This legislation preempts communities from passing local ordinances regulating the ingredients, flavors and licensing of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. It also includes the establishment of a weak tobacco control retail licensing program that is unlikely to hold retailers accountable for illegal sales of tobacco products to individuals under age 21.

In 2024, the American Lung Association is calling on public officials at the state level to increase funding for South Carolina’s Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control to $10 million annually as well as invest all $11 million from the Juul settlement to its vital tobacco prevention and cessation program to reduce taxpayer costs, protect kids, and save lives. We will continue to educate state legislators about the health and economic benefits of strong tobacco control policies, including the state policy goals highlighted above.