American Lung Association Slams Massachusetts Over Tobacco Funding

The American Lung Association's 2026 "State of Tobacco Control" report absolutely smokes Massachusetts for its failure to spend enough on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

ALA gives Massachusetts an "F" (as in "fail") grade for spending on prevention and cessation programs.

"The Commonwealth of Massachusetts severely underfunds the MTCP (Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program) based on the recommendations of the CDC," according to the ALA.

How Much Massachusetts Spends on Tobacco Control

Massachusetts allocated over $13 million for tobacco control programs in the last fiscal year. Roughly $2 million came from federal contributions, about 19.5 percent of CDC recommendations.

According to ALA, the CDC recommends that Massachusetts, which took in over $551 million in tobacco revenue in the last fiscal year, spend $67 million on tobacco control.

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Where Massachusetts Earned High Marks

In other areas, Massachusetts fared better in the ALA's report. The state earned an "A" for its efforts to achieve smoke-free workplaces, and a "B" for the level of taxes charged on tobacco products.

Massachusetts currently charges a tax of $3.51 per pack of cigarettes. The ALA recommends an increase of at least one dollar on the per-pack cigarette tax and a comparable tax on non-cigarette tobacco products.

Massachusetts also scores an "A" for banning flavored tobacco products, but only a "C" for providing access to tobacco cessation programs.

Last year, Massachusetts lawmakers considered legislation to ban nicotine products.

What the ALA Wants to See Next

All in all, the American Lung Association is pleased with efforts to control tobacco use in Massachusetts. "Massachusetts continues to be a leader nationwide in tobacco control efforts," the ALA said.

"As the Massachusetts Legislature does its work in 2026, the American Lung Association will continue to work with our state coalition partners to advance tobacco control and prevention efforts and defend our successful programs and policies against rollbacks," the ALA report concludes.