Michigan Highlights

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

  1. Pass a law to license all tobacco retailers, including e-cigarette retailers;
  2. Prohibit flavorings, including mint and menthol, for all tobacco products;
  3. Eliminate purchase, use and possession laws and preemption of stronger local laws;
  4. Increase cigarette taxes and match the tax on non-cigarette forms of tobacco like spit tobacco, cigars, hookah and e-cigarettes to the cigarette tax.
In the fall of 2023, a comprehensive, statewide, five bill tobacco reduction package was introduced in the state Senate that would implement this agenda. These bills address a broad range of topics, including setting up a comprehensive tobacco retail licensing system, repealing potentially preemptive language on tobacco sales in state law, increasing tobacco taxes and tobacco control program funding and eliminating the sale of all flavored tobacco products. It would be a ground-breaking package that has the potential to significantly reduce tobacco use rates. The Lung Association will continue to work with other health organizations to advocate for hearings to be held on the bills and for action taken in both houses of the legislature before the end of the 2024 legislative session.

In addition to those bills, there is more that Michigan policymakers could be doing. The state continues to only spend 4.1% of what is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a state of our size. While there was a small but encouraging increase in funding for the first time in many years in the state budget for fiscal year 2024, Michigan needs to continue to increase spending on tobacco control and prevention. Increasing tobacco taxes and ensuring parity for all forms of tobacco will raise the revenue to increase spending.

Local efforts continue in Detroit and Grand Rapids to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products, should the statewide prohibition fail to be enacted. The Lung Association will work with partners in those communities to get flavored products off the market and to have the mechanisms in place to enforce these ordinances. Data shows that flavored tobacco products attract young people to try these products. Over 80% of youth e-cigarette users use a flavored product, according to recently released national data.

As we look ahead to 2024, the American Lung Association in Michigan will continue to work with a broad coalition of stakeholders to advocate for evidence-based solutions to reduce the number of individuals using tobacco products, especially our youth.

Michigan Facts
Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking: $4,589,784,016
Adult Smoking Rate: 15.20%
High School Smoking Rate: 1.70%
High School Tobacco Use Rate: 14.10%
Middle School Smoking Rate: N/A
Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year: 16,170
Adult smoking data come from CDC's 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. High school smoking and tobacco use data come from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. A current middle school smoking rate is not available for this 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.

Michigan Information

Learn more about your state specific legislation regarding efforts towards effective Tobacco Control.

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