Tobacco Control Lessons Learned: The Impact of State and Local Policies

This chapter describes the evolution of key tobacco control policies over the past several decades and reviews the evidence base on the effectiveness of these policies in reducing tobacco use and the public health consequences it causes. Key policies include tobacco taxation, smoke-free air policies, policies targeting youth, and limits on tobacco company marketing; while state and local policies are the focus of the chapter, relevant federal policies in each area will be briefly described. Finally, arguments raised in opposition to stronger tobacco control policies are discussed, along with the evidence on the validity of these arguments.