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State laws on tobacco control--United States, 1995
D M Shelton1, M H Alciati, M M Chang
1U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Summary
State laws on tobacco control vary significantly across the US, impacting smoke-free air, youth access, advertising, and taxes. This comprehensive review highlights key legislative differences and provides data for policy development.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Law
- Tobacco Control Policy
- Health Services Research
Background:
- State laws are critical in regulating tobacco products and their impact on public health.
- Existing legislation addresses various aspects of tobacco control, including indoor air quality, youth access, advertising, and taxation.
- Understanding the landscape of state tobacco laws is essential for effective public health policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize and analyze state laws concerning smoke-free indoor air, youth access to tobacco, tobacco advertising, and excise taxes.
- To provide a comprehensive overview of tobacco control legislation across the United States.
- To offer data for policymakers to develop and implement targeted tobacco control initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Utilized LEXIS online legal database and the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) State Cancer Legislative Database (SCLD) for law identification.
- Conducted detailed content analyses of identified state laws effective through June 30, 1995.
- Compiled data on 1,238 state laws addressing tobacco control issues.
Main Results:
- Forty-six states and Washington, D.C. have some form of smoke-free indoor air laws.
- All states prohibit tobacco sales to minors, but only nine states restrict tobacco advertising.
- All states tax cigarettes, with an average excise tax of 31.5 cents per pack; 42 states also tax smokeless tobacco.
Conclusions:
- Significant variation exists in the restrictiveness, enforcement, penalties, preemption, and exceptions of state tobacco control laws.
- The collected data, available through the CDC's STATE system and NCI's SCLD, can inform policy decisions.
- Policy makers can leverage this information to enhance initiatives related to youth access, use, promotion, advertising, and taxation of tobacco products.