Tobacco use in Virginia 2023

• In 2022, 12.1% of adults smoked. Nationally, the adult smoking prevalence was 14.0%.¹
• In 2021, 2.8% of high school students in Virginia smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, smoking prevalence among high school students was 3.8%.²

• In 2022, 7.7% of adults in Virginia used e-cigarettes. Nationally, adult e-cigarette use prevalence was 7.7%.¹
• In 2022, 3.1% of adults in Virginia used smokeless tobacco every day or somedays. Nationally, adult smokeless tobacco use prevalence was 3.4%.¹
• In 2021, 14.3% of high school students in Virginia used electronic vapor products on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the e-cigarette use prevalence among high school students was 18%.²
• In 2021, 1.8% of high school students in Virginia used chewing tobacco, snuff or dip on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the , smokeless tobacco use prevalence among high school students was 2.5%.²
• In 2021, 2.8% of high school students in Virginia smoked cigars, cigarillos or little cigars on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the cigar use prevalence among high school students was 3.1%.²

• Virginia received $425.3 million (estimated) in revenue from tobacco settlement payments and taxes in fiscal year 2023.⁴
• Of this, the state allocated $11.9 million in state funds to tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2023, 13% of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual spending target.⁴
• Smoking-caused health care costs: $3.61 billion per year.⁴
• Smoking-caused losses in productivity: $9.4 billion per year.⁵

Tobacco taxes

• Virginia is ranked 44th in the U.S. for its cigarette tax of 60 cents per pack (enacted July 2020), compared to the national average $1.93. (New York has the highest tax at $5.35 and Missouri has the lowest at 17 cents.)^6-8
• Moist snuff is taxed at 36 cents per ounce.⁹
• The tax on loose leaf tobacco products varies depending on weight.⁹
• Liquid nicotine is taxed 6.6 cents per milliliter.⁹
• Roll-your-own tobacco is taxed at 10% of the manufacturers’ sales price.⁹
• Heated tobacco products are taxed 2.25 cents per stick, beginning January 1, 2021.¹⁰
• All other tobacco products are taxed at 20% of the manufacturers’ sales price.⁹

Clean indoor air ordinances

• Smoking is prohibited in schools (public schools only) and childcare facilities (excludes home-based child care providers).^6,7
• Smoking restrictions are required in government workplaces, restaurants, bars, retail stores and recreational/cultural facilities.^6,7
• There are no smoking restrictions in private workplaces or casinos/gaming establishments.^6,7
• School boards are required to implement policies that prohibit e-cigarettes use on school buses, school property and at school-sponsored activities.¹¹
• Smoking electronic vaporizing devices is prohibited in parks wherever smoking is prohibited.¹¹

Licensing laws

• Wholesalers are required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products. Retailers are not required to obtain a license to sell tobacco products.⁶
• A license is not required to sell e-cigarette products.¹¹

Youth access laws

• In December 2019, the United States adopted a law raising the federal minimum age of sale of all tobacco products to 21, effective immediately.
• Establishments are required to post signs stating that sales to minors are prohibited.⁶
• Minors are prohibited from buying bidis and/or alternative nicotine products, including -e-cigarettes.⁶
• Mail order and internet sales of nicotine vapor products requires age verification at time of purchase and signature of someone over 21 at delivery.¹¹
• Vending machine sales of nicotine vapor products is restricted to places not generally accessible to persons under 21.¹¹

• The CDC estimates 49.4% of daily adult smokers in Virginia quit smoking for one or more days in 2019.³
• In 2014, the Affordable Care Act required that Medicaid programs cover all tobacco cessation medications. However, there is not yet evidence that the Virginia Medicaid program has complied with this requirement regarding NRT nasal spray, NRT lozenge, NRT inhaler and Varenicline (Chantix).^7±
• Virginia’s state quit line invests 0.81 cents per smoker, compared to the national median of $2.37.⁷
• Virginia does not have a private insurance mandate provision for cessation.⁷

Updated June 2023

*The datasets for both adults and youth prevalence were used to make direct comparisons at the state and national levels. National prevalence reported here may differ from what is reported in our national-level fact sheets. The numbers here also reflect the most recent data available. Dates of available data may differ across state fact sheets.

**The seven recommended cessation medications are NRT gum, NRT patch, NRT nasal spray, NRT inhaler, NRT lozenge, Varenicline (Chantix) and Bupropion (Zyban).

Fiore MC, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update. Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services. Public Health Service: May 2008.

1.         CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2023

2.         CDC, Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, 2021

3.         CDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System, 2023

4.         Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Broken Promises to Our Children: a State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 24 Years Later FY2023, 2023

5.         Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Toll of Tobacco in the United States.

6.         American Lung Association, State Legislated Actions on Tobacco Issues (SLATI).

7.         American Lung Association, State of Tobacco Control, 2023.

8.         Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. State Cigarette Excise Tax Rates & Rankings. https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0097.pdf. Accessed October 4th, 2023.

9.         Virginia Department of Taxation. Tobacco Products Tax. https://www.tax.virginia.gov/tobacco-products-tax. Published 2020. Accessed October 4th, 2023.

10.       Virginia Department of Taxation. Tax Bulletin 20-11. Important Information Regarding Virginia's Tobacco Products Tax. Heated Tobacco Products Subject to Tax and Economic Nexus for Tobacco Products Distributors. https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/tb-20-11-tobacco-products-tax.pdf?utm_content=february_2019&utm_medium=email&utm_name=2019_secondq_interestrates&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=tax_preparer. Published December 1, 2020. Accessed October 4th, 2023.

11.       Public Health Law Center. U.S. E-Cigarette Regulation: 50-State Review. http://www.publichealthlawcenter.org/resources/us-e-cigarette-regulations-50-state-review. Accessed October 4th, 2023.