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Official Website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means its official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Tobacco Prevention and Control

    Pennsylvania's Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control has four goals:

    • Prevent initiation of all tobacco product use among youth and young adults;
    • Promote quitting among adults and youth;
    • Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke; and
    • Advance health equity by identifying and eliminating commercial tobacco product-related inequalities and disparities.

      Pennsylvania's 2023-2027 Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Strategic Plan serves as the framework to inform program goals and activities.  It provides a roadmap to significantly decrease tobacco-related morbidity and mortality in Pennsylvania over the next five years. View the strategic plan.

      Quitting Tobacco

      Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causes many diseases and reduces the health of smokers in general.  Quitting smoking lowers your risk for smoking-related diseases and can add years to your life.

      Pennsylvania has set out to implement the first statewide comprehensive tobacco-use prevention program. State-level initiatives include a telephone quitline, efforts to counter tobacco marketing, surveillance of tobacco sales to minors, promotion of clinical-practice guidelines for assessment and treatment of tobacco addiction and program evaluation.  

      PA Free Quitline

      • 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669)
      • 1-855-DEJELO-YA (335-3569)

      Quitting tobacco is a process. Whether you are thinking about quitting, are not yet ready to quit, or have already quit, PA Free Quitline can help you with each step of the way.  Free, Convenient, Safe & Secure.

      PA.Quitlogix.org to enroll online and learn more about Quitline services! 

      The Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control, in the Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, partners with National Jewish Health to provide the PA Free Quitline and smoking cessation services to all Pennsylvanians 24 hours per day / seven days per week. The PA Free Quitline offers:                   

      • up to five coaching sessions by phone
      • unlimited calls to the PA Free Quitline as needed
      • educational materials on quitting tobacco use, and
      • free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for qualified callers (up to eight weeks of patches)                    ​

      Clean Indoor Air Act

      Act 27 of 2008, the Clean Indoor Air Act that prohibits smoking in a public place or a workplace and lists examples of what is considered a public place. The bill allows for some exceptions, including a private residence (except those licensed as a child care facility), a private social function where the site involved is under the control of the sponsor (except where the site is owned, leased or operated by a state or local government agency) and a wholesale or retail tobacco shop. It also imposes penalties for those establishments in noncompliance, as well as those individuals smoking in prohibited areas.

      Tobacco Retail Enforcement  

      Act 112 of 2002, an Act amending Titles 18 and 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.  In 2002, Pennsylvania's Act 112 amended Section 6305 of the Crimes Code and created new fines for clerks and owners of tobacco retail stores. In Nov. 2019, Act 112 was amended again to raise the minimum age of sale for all tobacco products from 18-21. The Act:                     

      • Prohibits sales of tobacco products to individuals under 21 years of age).
      • Prohibits the furnishing of a tobacco product to any individual under 21 years of age.
      • Prohibits vending machines to be in any place where an underage purchaser can gain access without the supervision of a parent or guardian.
      • Restricts displaying or offering for sale a cigarette out of a pack.
      • Restricts access to tobacco products by non-employees.

      The goal of this Act is to decrease access to tobacco products for youth and ultimately end illegal tobacco sales to and use by individuals under 21 years of age in Pennsylvania. In response to this Act, the Pennsylvania Department of Health conducts compliance checks at tobacco retailers across the state to make sure tobacco products are not sold to underage purchasers.                        

      To report a tobacco retailer selling tobacco products to underage purchasers, email the Pennsylvania Department of Health at RA-DHTOBACCOSALES@pa.gov                        

      Include the following information in your email: 

      • store name
      • address
      • county
      • type of product being sold to underage purchaser