CHARLESTON W.Va. (WVDN) – A new report from the American Lung Association urges West Virginia lawmakers to prioritize increasing funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs to the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It also calls for protecting local authority over smokefree laws and implementing a substantial tobacco tax increase, while ensuring tax rates are equalized across all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, in order to reduce the overwhelming human and financial burden of tobacco use.
The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate tobacco use and recommends proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies to save lives.
The “State of Tobacco Control” report grades states and the District of Columbia in five areas that have been proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives. In the 2025 report, West Virginia received the following grades:
- Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs – Grade F
- Strength of Smokefree Workplace Laws – Grade D
- Level of State Tobacco Taxes – Grade F
- Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco – Grade F
- Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products – Grade F
In addition to grading West Virginia’s tobacco control policies, this year’s report examines the tobacco industry’s increasingly aggressive efforts to addict a new generation to tobacco and undermine proven public policies aimed at reducing tobacco use.
“Here in West Virginia, we continue to have the highest adult smoking rate in the nation, with 32.9% of adults (281,200) smoking, and a high school tobacco use rate of 27%. We are also the second-highest state for new lung cancer cases,” said Elizabeth Hensil, Director of Advocacy at the American Lung Association in West Virginia. “Despite these alarming statistics, tobacco industry lobbyists are actively working at the local level to weaken tobacco control policies. At the same time, the industry is introducing youth-targeted products, including e-cigarettes that resemble smartphones, kid-friendly flavors, and flavored nicotine pouches, all heavily promoted by social media influencers.”
“In 2025, policymakers in West Virginia must focus on increasing funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended level, preserving local control of smokefree laws throughout the state, and enacting a significant tobacco tax increase of $1.50 per pack and equalize taxes for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, with the cigarette tax,” said Hensil.
Despite receiving $194,900,000 from tobacco settlement payments, tobacco taxes and other state funding, West Virginia only funds tobacco control efforts at 6.1% of the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Lung Association urges Governor Patrick Morrisey and the legislature to increase funding for tobacco prevention and quit smoking programs.
Federal Grades Overview
The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report grades the federal government in five areas:
- Federal Government Regulation of Tobacco Products – Grade C
- Federal Coverage of Quit Smoking Treatments – Grade D
- Level of Federal Tobacco Taxes – Grade F
- Federal Mass Media Campaigns to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use – Grade: A
- Federal Minimum Age of Sale for Tobacco Products to 21 – Grade: A
The 2025 “State of Tobacco Control” report urges Congress to provide additional funding to the FDA so they can enforce against and remove all illegal e-cigarettes the tobacco industry has introduced to the market. To learn more about this year’s “State of Tobacco Control” grades and sign the petition, visit Lung.org/sotc.
State grades in “State of Tobacco Control” reflect actions taken by elected officials and do not reflect on the hard work of state tobacco control programs or advocates.
