Nearly every tobacco product you purchase is heavily taxed, and that tax is reflected in the price you pay at the cash register. For cigarettes, those taxes (along with other government fees and costs) make up about 55 percent of the price at retail — more than half of the price of a pack.
In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began regulating cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. In 2016, the FDA extended its regulatory authority to all tobacco products, including cigars and e-cigarettes.
In 2009, Congress enacted a national ban on cigarettes with flavors other than tobacco or menthol. Since 2009, many state and local governments have taken this one step further, proposing additional flavor bans on other tobacco products – such as cigars and dip.
You can find information about the health effects of tobacco products, and information on quitting through these resources.
Many governmental and non-governmental organizations offer information, views, and resources on a range of tobacco issues. You can find links to a number of such organizations here.
Citizens for Tobacco Rights supports reasonable regulations that ensure tobacco products are only available to adults and are not sold by anyone other than licensed and regulated tobacco retailers.