Report Card
Enforcement
Utah has a statewide Tobacco Retail License, but the fee is not specifically dedicated to fund enforcement and is only $30 to start with a renewal fee of $20 every two years — not adequate. Utah’s Health Department is the designated enforcement agency with two compliance checks conducted each year per retailer. A civil penalty can be placed on the retailer that violates MLSA laws and a criminal penalty can be placed on “Person” who sells (clerk) to the underage youth. The penalty fine schedule is strong with risk of suspension of license, but not revocation.
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
9.7%
of High School Seniors have vaped in the past 30 days
Tobacco Prevention vs. Industry Marketing
$1 : $3
Utah spends $14.1M in tobacco prevention efforts and the tobacco industry spends $38.6M in marketing. For every $1 spent in prevention, Big Tobacco spends $3 in marketing.
Tax per pack of cigarettes
$1.70
E-cigarette tax: $1.61
State Rank: 25
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
$542 million
Information updated Nov 2020. Please contact megan.boelter@tobacco21.org if you have suggested updates.