Efforts to Help Smokers Quit Stall Under Trump

The Trump administration has dismantled federal anti-smoking initiatives, shutting down the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health for over a year and halting the "Tips From Former Smokers" ad campaign that research showed prompted millions of quit attempts. The decision came as tobacco companies donated millions to political organizations linked to the administration, though no direct causal link has been established. Public health advocates say the move contradicts the administration's stated goal of reducing chronic disease.

The CDC's smoking office remains unfunded despite Congress restoring its budget, with staff on paid leave amid litigation. State quit lines have seen calls plummet since the ads ceased airing. The campaign had been credited with prompting over 16 million quit attempts and 1 million successful quits between 2012 and 2018, while smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., killing approximately 490,000 annually.