The American Heart Association is active in communities around the nation advocating for healthful policies that reduce tobacco use, especially among youth, and non-smokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke. Approximately 440,000 deaths are caused in the U.S. as a result of smoking or secondhand smoke.

Federal Policy
The American Heart Association strongly supports regulation of the manufacture, sale, labeling, advertising and marketing of tobacco products. It was a leading advocacy organization of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law in 2009 by President Obama and which enables the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the tobacco industry.  Through this law, the FDA has the authority to require manufacturers to reduce or eliminate harmful ingredients; to rein in marketing and sales of tobacco products to children; to require ingredient disclosure; and to require large, meaningful warning labels.

State and Local Policies

• Establish Smoke-Free Workplaces and Clean Indoor Air Standards -  Promote clean indoor air/smoke-free workplace laws and ordinances at the state and local levels.
• Increase Tobacco Excise Taxes - Support significant increases in tobacco excise taxes at the state, county or municipal levels. Seek opportunities to allocate a portion of revenue generated by increased tobacco excise taxes to tobacco control, prevention and cessation programs, banning tobacco products in health care institutions including pharmacies as well as other health-related initiatives such as those to improve access to health care.
• Support Tobacco Control and Prevention Programs - Fund state tobacco control and prevention and cessation programs to levels that meet or exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.