Colorado Highlights
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Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Colorado. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Colorado's elected officials:
- Eliminate the sale of all flavored tobacco products;
- Expand local tobacco retail licensure programs; and
- Protect and close remaining loopholes in state or local smokefree laws.
Colorado legislators should also be applauded for blocking an attempt from tobacco product manufacturers to create a state registry of e-cigarette products based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market tobacco application status where products could potentially be sold without FDA authorization. Similar industry-sponsored legislation popped up throughout the country in 2024.
After historic court settlements between states’ attorneys general and Juul Labs for their part in driving the youth vaping epidemic, this year Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced the distribution of grants to support local health departments, schools, and community non-profits as they deal with the lasting effects.
In a troubling development for public health, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the city of Aurora, and Adams County announced nearly $16 million in combined tax incentives for the tobacco giant Philip Morris International. The corporation plans to produce its brand of flavored nicotine pouches in Aurora, Colorado. Evidence is showing Philip Morris International and other tobacco manufacturers are already beginning the strategies they learned from Juul and other e-cigarettes to boost sales and addict new users to their new nicotine pouches.
In December 2024, Governor Polis rescinded two executive orders that prohibited smoking and vaping, and the sale of all tobacco products, in all buildings and on all grounds owned or leased by the State, under control of the executive branch. Although the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act codified the indoor smokefree air protections included in the executive orders, the Governor’s actions left gaps for smokefree grounds and sales of tobacco products on state property.
At the local level, Denver City Council voted 11-1 and Mayor Mike Johnston signed into law a bill to end the sale of flavored tobacco products. The city joined seven others in Colorado, and nearly 300 others across the country. The new law prohibits retailers from selling menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars and chew, and all flavored e-cigarettes. The new law comes after former Mayor Michael Hancock vetoed a previous attempt by City Council in 2021. Several other localities had success in enacting stronger tobacco control policies in 2024:
• Keystone: Tobacco retail licensure;
• La Junta: Tobacco retail licensure;
• Leadville: Tobacco retail licensure with a cap limiting total number of licenses to 6; and
• Lake County: Tobacco retail licensure with a cap limiting total number of licenses to 8.
In 2025, the Lung Association will continue to advocate for Colorado policymakers to enact policies that reduce the burden of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke in our state.
Colorado Facts |
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Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking: | $1,891,467,308 |
Adult Smoking Rate: | 10.20% |
Adult Tobacco Use Rate: | 18.60% |
High School Smoking Rate: | 3.10% |
High School Tobacco Use Rate: | 18.90% |
Middle School Smoking Rate: | 1.50% |
Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year: | 5,070 |
Adult smoking and tobacco use data come from CDCs 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; adult tobacco use includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. High school and middle school smoking data come from the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. High school tobacco use rate comes from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.
Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.
Colorado Information
Learn more about your state specific legislation regarding efforts towards effective Tobacco Control.