Addictive nicotine traps people in a dependency cycle, even when they want to quit. Nearly 70% of people who smoke want to quit. 68% of youth who vape have tried to quit, but almost two-thirds had no cessation support.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration reviews clinical data when it considers approval of a nicotine cessation product. FDA approved products include over-the-counter nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and nicotine lozenges. There are also approved prescription nicotine sprays and inhalers. Varenicline and bupropion are prescription cessation medicines that do not contain nicotine.

Despite sometimes confusing ad claims, none of the nicotine products marketed by the tobacco industry have been approved as cessation products by the FDA. E-cigarettes and oral nicotine products like Zyn have NOT been proven to help people successfully quit nicotine. These commercial nicotine products are not safe to use, even if they may have lower risks than deadly cigarettes.

Find evidence-based cessation resources on our Cessation/Quitting Support Services.

Learn more about Improving Cessation Treatment.

The tobacco industry's deadly products are still the leading cause of preventable death in Washington and the U.S. They are also an environmental hazard: polluting our environment and forcing clean-up costs on to state & local governments, schools, and businesses.

Cigarette butts and their plastic filters are the most littered item in the U.S., more than 750,000 metric tons each year. The nicotine in oral pouches is toxic - a hazardous waste - and the synthetic pouches are not biodegradable.

E-cigarettes are not only plastic and contain toxic nicotine, but they have a lithium battery that can cause explosions or fires. Often designed to be disposable, but e-cigarettes should not be tossed into the household garbage. In 2020, Keep America Beautiful counted nearly 900,000 littered e-cigarettes on U.S. roadways and waterways.

Learn more about efforts to get the tobacco industry to clean up their mess on our new Tobacco Waste page.

Image source: Truth Initiative

Currently, Washington State's laws on commercial tobacco regulation - including regulating e-cigarettes - block local authorities from passing stronger or different regulations. This preemption creates barriers to meeting community health needs. For example, a city cannot restrict the locations or numbers of vape shops to reduce youth access and exposure.

Washington is 1 of only 5 states with broad preemption of local commercial tobacco regulations. 19 states have no preemption and 26 states have more limited preemption.

The coalition's new 1-page Preemption in Washington's Commercial Tobacco Laws fact sheet provides a simple summary of restrictions in current WA laws, and limited actions that local governments can take to regulate vaping and smoking in public places.

Learn more about preemption on our Restore Local Authority page.

Find more of the coalition's position statements and issue fact sheets on our Policy Statements page, as well as translated versions in 5 languages.