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What We Do to Fight Tobacco Use

Since the 1950s, the American Lung Association has been a leader in the fight against tobacco use, which is a major cause of lung-related deaths and disease.  One of our primary weapons is advocacy, working to change public policy and making sure laws and regulations are enforced to reduce smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco industry marketing.

The American Lung Association also helps adults and teens quit smoking with programs proven to work.  For more information, please click here.

Milestone Victories Against Smoking

The Lung Association has fought the tobacco industry and its allies at every turn.  We fought them first when they refused to say that smoking caused lung cancer or was addictive. We fought them when they claimed that secondhand smoke was not dangerous.  We have seen much progress from our efforts:  smoking rates have dropped by more than half since 1965. 

The Lung Association has also pushed for laws to eliminate exposure to toxic secondhand smoke. One of our first successes was with airplanes in the early 1990s.  We now fight to protect everyone from secondhand smoke in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars.

You can see some of our milestone victories in the fight against tobacco use here.

Working for Change in 2009

The Lung Association was a key player in getting legislation passed in 2009 to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products.  This ground-breaking law gives FDA comprehensive authority over the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products.  It is a big victory on an issue the Lung Association has been working on since the early 1990s. 

We have also fought in state capitols for legislation to prohibit smoking in all public places and workplaces, and during 2009 reached the halfway point in getting all states to pass these life-saving laws: 26 states have answered the challenge.

Thanks to the commitment of Lung Association volunteers and staff, we have made real progress in the fight against tobacco use.  However, the State of Tobacco Control 2009 report makes clear that much work remains to be done. 

States and the federal government still have not enacted the public policies we know will sharply reduce tobacco use.   The American Lung Association will continue to fight for policies to reduce tobacco use in 2010 and beyond, but we need your help.  Join our fight today.