Kentucky Highlights

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

Upon conclusion of Kentucky’s 2023 regular legislative session, both House Bill 370 and House Bill 310 - bills to penalize youth for purchase, use and possession of tobacco products and to penalize clerks for selling to underage purchasers, respectively - died without ever being assigned to committee for consideration. The Lung Association and partner organizations maintained strong opposition to both measures throughout the session.

Recurring funding for the state’s tobacco prevention and control program remained at $2 million this fiscal year. However, additional funding from another account was transferred to the program resulting in $900,000 increase in funding for the year. This is a much-needed increase but remains short of the funding the program received a few years ago.

At the local level, advances continued in 2023 on smokefree policy momentum in Northern Kentucky that started in Dayton in 2022. Comprehensive smokefree ordinances were adopted in Bellevue, Corinth and Highland Heights. Supporting strong local smokefree advocates, the Lung Association and partner organizations were also successful in defeating a proposed exemption to Owensboro’s smokefree ordinance in place since 2014. Churchill Downs, owner of Ellis Entertainment, asked the city for the exemption to allow smoking in 15 percent of its planned gaming venue. Approximately 20 other communities in Kentucky are actively educating the public and elected officials about the dangers of secondhand smoke and aerosol and the benefits of smokefree policies as well as building support for local laws.

Separately, a January 2023 Mason Dixon Poll showed that nearly 70 percent of Kentuckians support requiring establishments that sell nicotine products to hold licenses as a tool to help enforce the state law prohibiting sales to persons under the age of 21.

According to the 2021 Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey, over 1 in 5 Kentucky 10th graders had used an e-cigarette in the last 30 days.

As the legislature begins its work in 2024, the American Lung Association will continue its efforts to educate policymakers, business leaders and media on the importance of the American Lung Associations goals to prevent and reduce all tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, and to protect public health.