ADA urges Congress to protect vital CDC tobacco prevention funding
CHICAGO: The ADA urges Congress to protect CDC tobacco prevention funding, joining a national coalition in calling for lawmakers to adopt the Senate’s proposed $246.5 million funding level for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH).
In a letter dated October 31 and coordinated by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the ADA and dozens of state and national public health organizations urged congressional appropriators to maintain existing OSH funding levels in the 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The coalition emphasized that the House version of the bill would significantly reduce CDC prevention resources and eliminate OSH funding entirely.
The coalition highlighted that tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, responsible for nearly 500,000 deaths annually and costing the country more than $600 billion in health care expenditures and lost productivity.
OSH plays a critical role in:
- Supporting state tobacco control programs
- Operating national smoking cessation resources, including quitlines
- Running the CDC’s acclaimed Tips From Former Smokers campaign
- Providing essential public health research and surveillance
According to the letter, eliminating OSH funding would result in the loss of approximately $70 million for state tobacco control programs and reduce cessation services across multiple states—undermining decades of progress in tobacco prevention and cessation.
The coalition urged Congress to ensure that the administration uses the full Senate-approved funding for OSH. It also encouraged lawmakers to incorporate specific funding instructions directly into the bill text to prevent diversion of resources away from core prevention programs.
“We urge you to ensure that CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health is funded at the Senate’s $246.5 million funding level and that the Administration spends the full amount for this purpose,” the letter stated. Adequate funding, the coalition added, is essential for sustaining state programs, strengthening quitline capacity, and rebuilding staffing levels that have been eroded in recent years.
By signing the coalition letter, the ADA reinforces its long-standing commitment to reducing tobacco-related disease. Leaders emphasized that fully funding OSH is essential to reducing tobacco use among adults and youth, preventing chronic disease, and protecting the nation’s long-term public health.
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