Nearly half (581) of the 2025 registrations represent companies owned by or affiliated with tobacco corporations that have been found liable under federal racketeering laws, including Altria and Reynolds American, Inc. Others, like JUUL, have faced significant legal and regulatory action, though not under RICO. This is worth noting, as lobbying is not inherently problematic The problem arises when lobbying takes place on behalf of an industry dominated by federally-adjudicated racketeers, especially those whose products kill when used as intended.

• Altria (previously known as Philip Morris) had a total of 312 registrations of lobbyists or lobbying firms, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
• Reynolds American had a total of 217 registrations of lobbyists or lobbying firms covering 49 states.
• Philip Morris International (PMI), which purchased Swedish Match in 2023, had a total of 206 registrations of lobbyists or lobbying firms covering 47 states.
• Most tobacco industry lobbyists and lobbying firms were also registered to serve a variety of other clients (see below for additional company trends).

Notably, in at least 13 states—including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island—and the District of Columbia, lobbying firms or employers can register in place of individual lobbyists. Because lobbying firms often employ multiple lobbyists this lack of individual-level disclosure undermines transparency and weakens public oversight making it harder for the public to see who is actually influencing policy in each state.

The ASH Lobbyist Tracker focuses on publicly available state-level registrations, with links provided to each official state webpage. A spreadsheet of the data found, and the following map can be viewed here.

Tobacco Company Trends Continued

• Vapor Technology Association saw the most significant increase from 19 registrations in 2024 to 87 in 2025, a 358% increase.
• JUUL registrations, which had dropped significantly from 95 in 2023 to 26 in 2024 (a decline of 73%), increased to 56 in 2025—marking a 115% rise compared to 2024.
• PMI saw an increase from 145 registrations in 2024 to 206 registrations in 2025, a 42% increase.
• “Other” companies (such as ITG brands and state specific companies and trade associations) saw an increase from 161 registrations in 2024 to 228 registrations in 2025, a 42% increase.
• Reynolds saw an increase from 197 registrations in 2024 to 217 registrations in 2025, a 10% increase.
• Cigar Association of America saw an increase from 86 registrations in 2024 to 94 registrations in 2025.
• General Cigar also saw a slight increase from 32 registrations in 2024 to 33 registrations in 2025.
• The only two companies that saw a slight decrease in registrations were: Altria decreased from 315 registrations in 2024 to 312 registrations in 2025. Swisher International decreased from 49 registrations in 2024 to 42 registrations in 2025.

The surge in registrations by the Vapor Technology Association and JUUL Labs from 2024 to 2025 may reflect a shifting landscape in the e-cigarette market. In 2025, the global vape market experienced continued growth, driven by evolving product designs, expanding consumer demand, and the persistence of flavored products that have proven difficult to regulate effectively. (Source, Source) Amid this environment, JUUL announced a leadership change by hiring a former federal official to oversee its Washington, D.C. operations—potentially signaling renewed efforts to engage with policymakers. (Source) These factors, combined with heightened regulatory scrutiny and pending legislation across multiple states, likely contributed to the 358% increase in registrations for the Vapor Technology Association and the 115% increase for JUUL.

This rise in political engagement may also be linked to growing attention on digital marketing practices. E-cigarette companies continue to rely heavily on social media, influencer partnerships, and other online platforms that are difficult to track and regulate., These challenges mirror global concerns about how modern marketing strategies can undermine efforts to protect public health, particularly where advertising restrictions are limited or inconsistently enforced. As policymakers and regulators at both the state and federal levels seek to address these gaps, some companies may be increasing their presence in state capitals to influence evolving discussions around youth prevention, product access, and regulatory oversight — including advertising, which is largely governed at the federal level.

State-Level Lobbying Registration Trends

Overall, total registrations in 2025 show a 24% increase from 2024 data (an increase of 248 registrations).

39 states had more registrations in 2025 than 2024, 8 states and Washington, D.C. had less registrations and three states (Mississippi, New York, and Ohio) saw no change.

Please note: some lobbyists and lobbying firms represent multiple clients and may be registered more than once within the same state.

The U.S. states with the most registrations in 2025 were:

1. Pennsylvania – 92 Total registrations representing:
   • 64 individual lobbyists
   • 14 lobbying firms

1. Florida – 71 Total registrations representing:
   • 68 individual lobbyists

1. New Jersey – 51 Total registrations representing:
   • 40 individual lobbyists

1. Tennessee – 48 Total registrations representing:
   • 45 individual lobbyists

1. Illinois – 47 Total registrations representing:
   • 37 individual lobbyists

1. Missouri – 46 Total registrations representing:
   • 42 individual lobbyists

1. Ohio – 46 Total registrations representing:
   • 35 individual lobbyists

1. Texas – 45 Total registrations representing:
   • 43 individual lobbyists

1. Georgia – 40 Total registrations representing:
   • 35 individual lobbyists

1. Colorado – 39 registrations representing:
   • 30 individual lobbyists
   • 3 lobbying firms

How Advocates Can Use the ASH Lobbyist Tracker

This compiled data shines a light on the scope of tobacco lobbyists and tobacco lobbying firms in each U.S. state, ensuring elected officials, advocates, and media know who they are and whose “advice” not to trust on public health.

There is an irreconcilable conflict between the interests of tobacco companies and public health.

Involving tobacco companies in the regulation of their own products not only undermines public health but also violates the global standards for tobacco regulation laid out in the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3, which the U.S. has signed and claims to have enacted.

Tobacco companies must be actively excluded from policymaking, and to do that, you must first know who they are.

This tracker data shows who cannot be trusted to put forth good public health policy.

Advocates can use the ASH U.S. Tobacco Industry Lobbyist and Lobbying Firm Registration Tracker to:

• Actively monitor the lobbying efforts of tobacco industry stakeholders in your state to grasp and counteract their influence on policymaking.
• Identify trends in tobacco industry lobbying activities to stay informed and proactive in advocacy efforts.
• Utilize tracker data for targeted outreach towards policymakers and community leaders, highlighting the impact of tobacco industry lobbying on public health and the need to exclude the tobacco industry and their lobbyists.
• Use insights from the tracker to empower your advocacy by crafting evidence-based policy recommendations and advocating for robust regulations against tobacco industry influence.

Learn more about other tactics tobacco companies use to infiltrate public health policymaking in ASH’s U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023 here> and the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023 here>.

Stay tuned for the launch of ASH’s 2025 U.S. Tobacco Industry Interference Index this fall. To register for alerts, click here>