The tobacco industry’s influence in U.S. policymaking has reached an alarming new level. According to the newly released 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the United States now ranks 98th out of 100 countries — its worst score ever — when it comes to protecting public health from tobacco industry interference.

Read the full 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index>

Read ASH’s Press Release on the US Index Launch>

The Tobacco Industry’s Grip on Policy

For decades, tobacco companies have used their wealth and power to shape public policy — putting profits before people. The latest US Index exposes just how deeply they continue to manipulate U.S. institutions, exploiting loopholes, cultivating relationships, and undermining public health measures.

The Index is based on global best practices in the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) — a treaty adopted by 183 Parties to protect people from the harms of tobacco. The U.S. has signed but never ratified it, despite claiming compliance.

“The tobacco industry’s playbook hasn’t changed — profit first, health last. Protecting public health means keeping the tobacco industry out of policy decisions, full stop.”
— Nichelle Gray-Lkhagvadorj, Lead Author and Manager of Engagement and Special Programs, ASH

A Troubling Trend

The 2025 findings show a worsening pattern of tobacco industry interference:

• Partnerships with U.S. agencies: Philip Morris International’s collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security gives Big Tobacco a seat at the table — the very opposite of what FCTC Article 5.3 requires.

• Dismantling of public health protections: The closure of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health in April 2025 wiped out programs that helped millions quit smoking and prevented youth addiction.

• Blocked menthol ban: The continued delay of a menthol cigarette ban protects tobacco industry profits while costing lives.

What Needs to Change

The Index lays out eight urgent actions to protect U.S. policymaking from Big Tobacco’s grip:

1.) Raise awareness of the WHO FCTC and its provisions regarding tobacco industry interference;

2.) Strengthen and standardize revolving door prohibitions;

3.) Close loopholes in executive branch ethics guidelines;

4.) Prevent conflicts of interest in FDA approval processes;

5.) Reinstate and strengthen public health offices to guard against industry interference;

6.) Adopt an official code of conduct for public officials;

7.) Educate lawmakers on industry interference; and

8.) Mandate philanthropic donation disclosure.

“We can’t ‘Make America Healthy Again’ without restoring the funding and people at the Office on Smoking and Health, which educates the American people about the harms of smoking while helping our states and healthcare systems provide proven assistance to people interested in quitting.”

— Dr. Tim McAfee, former Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health

Why This Matters

The U.S. is falling behind the world when it comes to standing up to Big Tobacco. The 2025 US Index is a wake-up call: we cannot let corporations that profit from death dictate our health policies.

The data collected for this report will contribute to the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, launching November 11, 2025 — a worldwide effort to expose and dismantle tobacco industry influence everywhere.

Join the Movement

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year — and the tobacco industry’s interference ensures that number keeps rising. It’s time to put public health ahead of profit.

→ Read the 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index

→ Share the Index findings on social media using sample graphics and posts here