Help Reduce Youth Tobacco Use

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable and premature death^[1]and the tobacco industry has worked for decades to avoid regulation and target youth with their addictive products. In 2020, 23.6% of high school students reported using tobacco products^[2], and use of e-cigarettes — now the most popular nicotine product among youth — has skyrocketed in recent years among teens and young adults.^[3]

One of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, especially among youth, is to increase the price of tobacco products.^[4]

The Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 would:

• Increase the federal tax rate on cigarettes
• Peg it to inflation to ensure it remains an effective public health tool
• Set the federal tax rate for all other tobacco products at the same level

This legislation would create the first federal e-cigarette tax and increase the tobacco tax rate for the first time in a decade. The bill would close tax and regulatory loopholes that the tobacco industry has exploited for large cigars, smokeless tobacco, and pipe tobacco.

The rates of youth smoking have been declining for years, and we were on the cusp of making this young generation the first to broadly reject tobacco use. Instead, rates are rising and too many young people have become hooked on nicotine products. We must do all we can to reverse this trend.