Report Card
Enforcement
D.C.’s Tobacco Retail License fee of $15 isn’t enough to fund enforcement and the law does not specifically dedicate the fee to enforcement. Their Health Department is the designated enforcement agency, but they do not specify the number of compliance checks to be done annually with a decoy that’s 17-20 years of age. ID checks are required for any purchaser that appears to be under 30 years of age. Penalties are placed on the retailer or clerk with a non-compliant retailer risking suspension or revocation of their 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
13%
of High School Seniors have vaped in the past 30 days
Tobacco Prevention vs. Industry Marketing
$1 : $2
Washington D.C. spends $1.9M in tobacco prevention efforts and the tobacco industry spends $3.8M in marketing. For every $1 spent in prevention, Big Tobacco spends $2 in marketing.
Tax per pack of cigarettes
$4.50
E-cigarette tax: $2.61
State Rank: 1
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
$391 million
Information updated Nov 2020. Please contact megan.boelter@tobacco21.org if you have suggested updates.