O2119: Advocacy For Ending the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products in Washington State

Background: Ending the sale of flavored tobacco products is an important issue for youth health in Washington state. Nearly 81% of youth who used a tobacco product start with a flavored product. The tobacco industry developed increasingly addictive products marketed towards youth: thousands of fruity & candy flavored e-cigarettes, many that contain exceedingly high nicotine levels. The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) has advocated to end the sale of flavored tobacco products to protect youth health, to prevent a new generation of lifelong tobacco users, & to help address the costly harms of tobacco use

Project Description: WCAAP has advocated to end the sale of flavored tobacco products via a variety of advocacy efforts prior to & during the 2025 legislative session.
Prior to session:
-Served as a keynote speaker at a conference about the harms of flavored tobacco to galvanize people on this issue;
-Collaborated with medical, public health, & community organizations as part of a broader coalition;
-Contributed to the bill press release;
-Developed fact sheets/educational materials with the statewide tobacco prevention coalition;
-Recorded YouTube videos shared on social media, with >190,000 views;

During session:
-Prioritized as one of WCAAP’s top 2025 legislative issues;
-Educated over 130 pediatricians to meet with legislators to advocate for this at the 2025 WCAAP Advocacy Day in Olympia, WA;
Also provided clinical training on youth nicotine addiction / cessation;
-Led our WCAAP legislative committee & members to message legislators & to sign in support;
-Supported these bills through testimony;
-Contributed to state health impact reviews;
-Wrote op-eds;
-Joined weekly policy update meetings for organizations;

Discussion: WCAAP has championed this legislation via advocacy strategies including mobilizing members, coalition-building, & educating legislators. Challenges included tobacco industry opposition and concerns about lost tax revenue. To address budget concerns, proposed legislation adapted to include increased tobacco taxes plus ending the sale of flavored products. This would decrease tobacco use and increase revenue, including allocating funding for tobacco prevention. Prioritizing this issue as a WCAAP legislative priority helped mobilize pediatricians in advocacy efforts. Using multiple advocacy approaches in collaboration with other organizations has been effective for increasing visibility & support for this issue.

Conclusion: Ending the sale of flavored tobacco is important for decreasing youth nicotine addiction in Washington state. Multiple advocacy strategies have been utilized to promote this important issue. Educating pediatricians, the public, & legislators have all been valuable parts of this advocacy. Continued advocacy from the WCAAP in collaboration with a broader coalition has been effective for generating support and making progress on ending the sale of flavored tobacco products. Pediatricians can be strong advocates for policy change, and state-level advocacy is a crucial part of efforts to protect youth from tobacco-related harms.