Report Card
Enforcement
Iowa doesn’t have a statewide Tobacco Retail License, but permits are issued locally. Law enforcement conducts compliance checks and state law does not have mandated compliance check requirements with age of decoys not specified. Penalties are on both the retailer and clerk with the clerk getting a simple misdemeanor. There’s isn’t a comprehensive penalty fine schedule which, in addition to poor enforcement, will lead to continued violation of MLSA laws.
Tobacco Retail License
- Comprehensive statewide Tobacco Retail License covering all tobacco products
- Multiple Tobacco Retail Licenses that cover all tobacco products
- Tobacco Retail License only covers cigarettes and NOT e-cigarettes
- No statewide Tobacco Retail License
Preemption
- No preemption
- Preempted from raising the sales age
- Preempted from creating a Tobacco Retail License
All public health is local. Often Big Tobacco works to add preemption to statewide tobacco control bills so cities and counties are unable to enact laws that better protect the public.
High School Vaping Rate
20.1%
of High School Seniors have vaped in the past 30 days
Tobacco Prevention vs. Industry Marketing
$1 : $24
Iowa spends $4M in tobacco prevention efforts and the tobacco industry spends $97.6M in marketing. For every $1 spent in prevention, Big Tobacco spends $24 in marketing.
Tax per pack of cigarettes
$1.36
E-cigarette tax: $0.00
State Rank: 30
Higher tobacco taxes are associated with decreases in tobacco use and increases in cessation and lower youth initiation.
Annual State Healthcare Costs due to Tobacco Use
$1.28 billion
Information updated Nov 2020. Please contact megan.boelter@tobacco21.org if you have suggested updates.