March 12, 2026, Durham, NC – Last month, the American Lung Association released its 2026 State of Tobacco Control report, which provides an annual assessment of tobacco control efforts across the United States. The report evaluates federal and state policies aimed at reducing tobacco use and assigns “grades” based on progress in key areas such as prevention programs, tobacco taxes, and smoke-free laws.

This year’s report highlights both progress and concerning developments in the nation’s tobacco control landscape.

How Has the Tobacco Control Landscape Changed?

Several major changes to federal tobacco control programs occurred in 2025, which may have long-term implications for prevention efforts nationwide.

In April 2025, the majority of staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) were terminated. Around the same time, a significant number of staff at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products were also removed.

Funding for state tobacco prevention programs was also affected. Grant funding from the federal government to tobacco prevention programs in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. was delayed from April until the end of the federal fiscal year in September 2025, creating disruptions in prevention and cessation efforts.

Additionally, the Tips from Former Smokers campaign, one of the most effective public health campaigns in U.S. history, was terminated. This decision left more than $65 million in congressionally directed tobacco prevention and cessation funding unused during the previous year.

According to the American Lung Association, these changes have significantly disrupted federal tobacco control efforts, limited national prevention campaigns, and created new opportunities for tobacco companies to increase marketing of harmful products.

You can learn more about the report’s federal and state grades on the American Lung Association website. Select your state to learn about your state’s tobacco control performance this year, and use this opportunity to support your tobacco prevention efforts:
https://www.lung.org/research/sotc/federal-grades.

What Does This Mean for Youth?

Despite these challenges, youth tobacco use has reached its lowest level in 25 years. However, tobacco use among young people remains a serious public health concern.

An estimated 2.25 million middle and high school students still use tobacco products, including highly addictive e-cigarettes. The rapid rise of vaping products has created new pathways for nicotine addiction among youth and has made it easier for tobacco use to occur in schools and other youth settings.

At the same time, reduced funding for prevention programs and public education campaigns may allow tobacco companies more opportunities to market their products, particularly to young audiences.

Helping youth recognize and resist these marketing tactics remains a critical component of prevention.

How Prevention Programs Can Help.

One effective approach to tobacco and substance misuse prevention is media literacy education. Media literacy programs teach young people to critically analyze advertising, understand persuasive marketing techniques, and make informed decisions about their health.

iRT develops evidence-based prevention programs that use media literacy strategies to help youth recognize and resist substance use messaging:

  • Media Detective is an evidence-based, instructor-led program designed for 3rd–5th grade students. Through engaging lessons led by the program’s mascots, Snoop and Scoop, students learn to investigate advertisements and uncover the persuasive techniques used in media messages about substances. Students become “media detectives,” developing the skills needed to analyze advertising and make healthier choices.
  • Media Ready is an evidence-based program designed for middle school students. The program teaches youth how to critically evaluate media messages about alcohol, tobacco, and vaping products, helping them recognize marketing tactics and resist pressure to experiment with substances.
  • Media World helps high school students explore how advertising works and how marketing of substances is regulated. The program introduces students to persuasive tactics used by advertisers and provides examples of media messages related to tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, steroids, and highly caffeinated beverages. By building critical thinking and media analysis skills, Media World helps students better understand how media influences behavior.

Supporting Youth Prevention Efforts.

As the tobacco control landscape continues to evolve, prevention education remains a vital tool for protecting young people. Programs that strengthen media literacy and critical thinking skills can help youth recognize misleading advertising, question harmful messaging, and make healthier choices.

By equipping students with these skills, educators and prevention professionals can play an important role in reducing the influence of tobacco marketing and preventing nicotine addiction among the next generation.

To learn more about iRT’s substance misuse prevention programs, visit:
https://www.irtinc.us.