Report Card
Enforcement
Although Kentucky doesn’t have a statewide Tobacco Retail License, a portion of tobacco taxes and fines collected contribute to funding enforcement. Unfortunately, Kentucky is preempted from enacting local TRL. The Alcohol and Beverage Control and Department of Agriculture are the designated enforcement agencies with ID checks only required for appearance of under 21 years of age, no mandated number of compliance checks, and a penalty schedule that does NOT include suspension or revocation of the license.
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
26.1%
of High School Seniors have vaped in the past 30 days
Tobacco Prevention vs. Industry Marketing
$1 : $123
Kentucky spends $2M in tobacco prevention efforts and the tobacco industry spends $246.1M in marketing. For every $1 spent in prevention, Big Tobacco spends $123 in marketing.
Tax per pack of cigarettes
$1.10
E-cigarette tax: $1.50
State Rank: 36
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
$1.92 billion
Information updated Nov 2020. Please contact megan.boelter@tobacco21.org if you have suggested updates.