Connecticut got two failing grades in the latest annual “State of Tobacco” report from the American Lung Association released Wednesday. The report calls out the state for not ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products and for not adequately funding state tobacco prevention programs.
“We have two Fs and we have three Bs, and since I've been doing this, our grades have definitely increased,” said Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy in Connecticut for the American Lung Association. “So we are moving in the right direction, but we clearly have a lot more to do.”
Canovi said flavors are a huge draw for children and youth, and they have plenty to choose from.
“Almost 90% of kids who’ve used tobacco products, used flavored products,” she said. “A number of states have adopted legislation, and so that's where that grade is. And in Connecticut, we haven't had any towns, or the state, pass anything to restrict flavors and protect youth from that aspect of tobacco.”
Canovi said children and youth are quick to switch to a substitute flavor when one flavor is banned, and that’s why she said all flavored tobacco must be banned, like in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts banned the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, in 2019.
Data from a 2022 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows “significant declines in overall cigarette and menthol cigarette sales in Massachusetts,” and that the ban had “no significant impact on cross-border sales in neighboring states where menthol cigarettes are sold.”
But data also shows a rise in illegal products in Massachusetts following the ban. Data from the nonprofit Truth Initiative showed that more than 86% of e-cigarettes on the market nationally are illegal products.
Negative impact on minorities
Canovi said the tobacco industry continues to target its advertising toward Black, brown and LGBTQ+ communities, negatively impacting health outcomes.
“Close to 80% of Black individuals who smoke use menthol cigarettes, it's because of a clear industry targeting of that community, and we're really concerned about that as it's a big health equity issue,” Canovi said.
In the last two years, Connecticut invested more than $12 million in tobacco prevention programs, but lawmakers did not approve the continuation of that funding last year for prevention programs in 2025.
Canovi hopes lawmakers will spend more money on tobacco prevention efforts in 2025.
The CDC recommends that states, in total, spend $3.3 billion each year on tobacco prevention. Connecticut is well below the recommended spending level, Canonvi said. The CDC said that in 2024, states collected nearly $26 billion from tobacco taxes and the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement between four cigarette makers and 46 states.
As part of a nationwide crackdown on bootleg nicotine products, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced Jan. 16 that his office served civil investigative demands on 12 Connecticut smoke shops and convenience stores and two wholesalers “found selling highly-potent, illegally imported disposable e-cigarettes flavored and designed to appeal to youth.”
“Many of these are bootleg illegal imports — untested and unsafe,” Tong said in a statement. “Our investigation is focused on identifying the suppliers and distributors of these illicit products.”
Flavored nicotine products are largely manufactured and imported illegally into the U.S. from China, according to Tong’s office. The number of disposable products has increased 1,500% since 2020.
“The sale of illegal nicotine products that are clearly designed to appeal to young people poses a significant threat to the health of our youth,” said Nancy Navarretta, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Tong’s office is seeking legislative reforms this year to ensure that sales of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches adhere to Connecticut laws and regulations and that non-tobacco nicotine products are regulated, licensed and taxed in Connecticut in the same way that tobacco products are.
Learn more
If you or someone you know needs help to quit smoking, Canovi recommends these resources: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or the American Lung Association’s website.
