Rhode Island Highlights

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

During the 2024 Rhode Island legislative session the American Lung Association weighed in on several tobacco-related bills. The General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2025 state budget that allowed menthol e-cigarettes to once again be for sale in Rhode Island after four years of being off the market. The budget provisions related to tobacco also included a $0.25 increase to the cigarette excise tax with no additional investment to tobacco control and prevention (bringing the cigarette tax to $4.50 per pack). It moved the regulatory authority of ENDS from the Rhode Island Dept. of Health to the Dept. of Revenue (DOR), including licensing, the weakened flavor restriction, and funded enforcement. It created a centralized tobacco licensing and enforcement structure at DOR as well as created a two-tiered ENDS excise tax that equates to far less than parity with other tobacco products. This disappointing move was fueled by tobacco industry interference in the form of misinformation and intense lobbying of members of the General Assembly. On the final day of session, the House Finance Committee voted favorably on the smokefree casinos legislation; albeit too late in session to make any more progress before session adjourned later that day.

Tobacco Free Rhode Island (TFRI), a grant funded through the Department of Health and administered by the Lung Association, led Rhode Island’s statewide youth tobacco movement by empowering individuals aged 12-21 to become Tobacco Free Ambassadors. In 2024, TFRI co-hosted a statewide vaping conference for educators and school administrators to focus on evidence-based prevention and policy solutions to address nicotine use in RI schools. TFRI also helped launch a new ‘menthol and health disparities’ workgroup that meets monthly, working to build capacity to address tobacco-related health disparities.

In May 2024, the Lung Association led a Day of Action alongside state partners at the Rhode Island State House. The day started with a day-long training of youth advocates and ended with more than 60 advocates gathering at the State House for a press conference with medical professionals, legislator champions, and youth speakers. Following the press conference, advocates found their legislators on the House and Senate floor to educate them on the importance of smokefree casinos and adequately funding tobacco control and prevention.

Looking ahead to 2025, the American Lung Association calls on Rhode Island policy makers now more than ever, to adequately fund tobacco control efforts at or above the CDC-recommended level to ensure all Rhode Islanders are protected from a lifetime of tobacco dependence and disease.