Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

09/22/2026

Our team was thrilled to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 55th Annual Legislative Conference last week, connecting with lawmakers, advocates and community leaders committed to building a healthier future.

We shared resources, sparked important conversations and highlighted the need for policies that protect kids from to***co addiction and advance health equity.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth and to the partners who continue to make this work possible.

09/17/2026

📣 National PTA GRANTS ARE NOW OPEN! 📣

National PTA grants can help schools and PTAs bring meaningful programs and experiences to students and families from STEM and the arts to health, wellness and more.

Whether you’re looking to spark curiosity, strengthen your school community, or create new opportunities for students, funding may be available to help you get started.

🗓️ Applications are open now!
👉 PTA.org/Grants

09/16/2026

The to***co industry has historically targeted military communities, leading to disproportionate health and economic impacts. Today, the industry continues to target those who serve with its latest products, including highly addictive e-ci******es and ni****ne pouches.

Join us on September 30 at 7 p.m. ET for Honoring Service, Protecting Health: To***co Use in Military Communities. We'll explore the impact of to***co use on military and veteran communities and discuss solutions that advance a to***co-free military and veteran community

Register today: to***cofreekids.org/c4tc

09/15/2026

Young people are driving change in their communities, and we're proud to support their efforts.

Through the Barrie Fiske Youth Leadership Fund, we're offering up to three grants of up to $5,000 each to support youth-led projects and events focused on to***co prevention and advocacy. These grants are designed to elevate youth voices, strengthen advocacy skills and help young leaders hold the to***co industry accountable.

Applications are due October 23, 2026. Learn more and apply: to***cofreekids.org/barrie-fund

09/11/2026

More than 767 million children were exposed to secondhand smoke in 2023, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease analysis published in The Lancet. Secondhand smoke contributed to more than 1.6 million deaths worldwide.

These numbers are a stark reminder that to***co’s deadly toll extends far beyond people who use to***co. Smoke-free policies can protect people from secondhand smoke and save lives.

Governments must act to ensure everyone can live, work and play free from the harms of secondhand smoke.

Read the full statement here: https://www.to***cofreekids.org/press-releases/2026-09-10-over-one-third-of-worlds-population-exposed-to-deadly-secondhand-smoke

09/04/2026

Foreign aid is shrinking, domestic resources are under pressure and the need for sustainable public health funding is growing.

Our new global webinar series, Expanding the To***co Control Movement, kicks off on September 16th with Sustainable Health Financing, bringing together experts from Ghana, Ethiopia, Việt Nam, Mexico and the Philippines for a practical conversation about to***co control budget advocacy in the current climate.

They’ll share real-world experiences across strategic planning, implementation, budget accountability and sustainability, including challenges they’ve faced, how they’ve overcome them and lessons that can be applied across countries and sectors.

Learn more and register: https://www.to***cofreekids.org/join-the-fight/events/global-webinar-series-webinar-1-sustainable-health-financing

09/02/2026

British American To***co told the Financial Times it “cannot control fully whether teenagers will be interested” in its ni****ne pouches.

That’s an outrageous abdication of responsibility from a to***co company that markets its products in ways that appeal to young people – including sponsorships of music festivals and Formula 1 racing.

BAT can control how it markets its products. It should start by ending the Formula 1 sponsorship for its e-ci******es and ni****ne pouches, which reaches millions of young fans around the world.

You can’t deny responsibility for youth appeal while actively cultivating it.

Learn more:

Campaigns come ahead of ban on advertising and sponsorship for all non-medicinal products from next June

08/28/2026

The FDA’s authorization of the JUUL2 e-cigarette product – including menthol-flavored pods – raises several concerns:

First, JUUL’s irresponsible marketing fueled the youth e-cigarette crisis in the first place, and it remains a popular brand among youth. Second, menthol is a flavor that appeals to kids, as the FDA itself has recognized. To***co companies have a long history of adding menthol to to***co products to make them less harsh and more appealing to young people.

These authorizations risk a reversal of recent progress in reducing youth e-cigarette use.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized the marketing of three ​new 'JUUL2' e-cigarette products, the latest in a series of ‌approvals for ni****ne products the agency says may offer a lower-risk alternative to traditional ci******es.

08/26/2026

The to***co industry never misses an opportunity to market its products to young people.

Over the weekend, British American To***co promoted its VELO ni****ne pouch brand by prominently sponsoring a race car in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., reaching millions watching in the stands and on TV, including young fans.

Sports – including auto racing teams and drivers – shouldn’t be helping Big To***co peddle addiction to kids.

08/25/2026

Rural communities bear a disproportionate burden of to***co-related disease and face unique challenges that impact health and well-being. Our latest Campaign for The Culture conversation, Rural Realities: To***co, Health and Community, explored how identity and health intersect in rural America and highlighted the importance of solutions shaped by the communities most affected.

Check out this clip of Ashley Schwinn, Managing Director of Partnerships at Truth Initiative, breaking down why centering rural voices is critical to reducing to***co-related harm and advancing health equity.

Watch the full conversation at: to***cofreekids.org/C4TC