State and Local Governments: The Original Tobacco “Regulators” are Still in the Game

Kathi Hoke will take us on a short tour down memory lane when there was no FDA Center for Tobacco Regulation yet over decades state and local governments and public health advocacy organizations methodically worked to reduce smoking and tobacco use and the related health harms. In the shadow of intense focus on what the FDA can and should do, what a comprehensive plan looks like, what the PMTA process should accomplish, state and local governments continue to innovate in tobacco regulation. In many areas of the country, adult tobacco use is in the single digits. In other areas, public health agencies are earnestly developing programs, policies, and laws to reduce health inequities cause by the tobacco industry’s targeting of Black communities, LGBTQ populations, and other marginalized people. What are the innovative approaches state and local governments are taking or considering? How does federal law or the CTP support this work and how do they get in the way? Kathi will address how the CTP could enhance its collaborations with state and local government and provide resources to support these laboratories of innovation.