Alabama Highlights

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

The 2024 legislative session was a busy one for tobacco prevention and control issues. The Lung Association and other public health partners educated on proven methods for state tobacco control licensing, enforcement, and compliance of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. For several years, Representative Drummond has attempted to pass legislation to further regulate tobacco products in the state. This legislative session was no different with the introduction of House Bill 65 that would have instituted additional accountability for tobacco retailers and adjusted the youth penalty structure for purchase, use and possession of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. The legislation was considered in both chambers but failed to pass.

The Alabama Legislature also considered House Bill 438 by Representative Hollis which would have created a new category of tobacco products for heated tobacco products. These products would have been exempted from taxation. The Lung Association was actively opposed to this legislation led by Phillip Morris International. The legislation failed to pass.

Local public health coalitions and communities continue to be limited in their ability to focus on tobacco control issues, such as implementing strong smokefree ordinances. We are grateful to the 33 municipalities who continue to protect their residents from exposure to secondhand smoke. The Lung Association continues to be engaged with community education on the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke across Alabama as appropriate.

In 2025, the American Lung Association will advocate for access to comprehensive quit tobacco coverage for Medicaid recipients and for the implementation of a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing program that will ensure enforcement and compliance with tobacco control statutes. The Lung Association will continue educating state legislators on best practices for tobacco control, including the benefits of a statewide smokefree law, while also monitoring and combating tobacco industry influence on state public health policies. To reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use in Alabama, state legislators will need to recognize the health and economic burden of tobacco and secondhand smoke exposure by enacting public health protections and investing in evidence-based tobacco prevention programs.