Utah Highlights

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

The American Lung Association in Utah supports evidence-based policy interventions to reduce tobacco use rates and prevent youth initiation. Together with our partners, the Lung Association works to ensure tobacco control and prevention remains a priority for state legislators and local decisionmakers.

The Lung Association continued to educate elected officials and the general public about the negative public health impacts of tobacco use in Utah, and the ongoing importance of providing adequately funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs. In 2023, the legislature passed House Bill 460, directing revenue resulting from a multi-state lawsuit settlement with Juul Labs to fund evidence-based vaping prevention. Utah’s portion of the settlement is $8.6 million.

In fiscal year 2024, Utah maintains its standing among the top states in the country for state tobacco prevention and cessation funding at $15.4 million, close to 90% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended level when federal CDC funding is included. The program is funded by a combination of tobacco Master Settlement Agreement dollars, tobacco tax revenue and e-cigarette tax revenue.

Moving forward, the American Lung Association in Utah will continue to educate policymakers about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of a well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation program in 2024. A significant increase on taxes for all tobacco products remains the top tobacco control policy goal in Utah. Utah’s legislature last raised the cigarette tax in 2010.