A version of this column originally appeared in The Alpena News.
Teen tobacco use has been falling for decades, declining by over 93% in Michigan from 2001 to 2021. The substantial decline in youth tobacco use is no doubt a result of both greater awareness about the health risks as well as laws designed to discourage smoking.
But emerging trends in youth tobacco use–including e-cigarette use–require continued efforts to update existing laws, increase funding for prevention and cessation programs, and adopt evidence-based strategies to protect young people.
Many of the most effective health policies to reduce teen smoking, like the excise tax on cigarettes or bans on flavored cigarettes, have not been expanded to e-cigarettes in Michigan. Companies benefit from this lack of regulation, specifically appealing to young people by offering e-cigarettes in candy and fruit flavors with colorful packaging.
As a result, teens are eight times more likely to report using e-cigarettes, which can still contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Nicotine is especially dangerous in adolescence, when the brain is still developing, and can have harmful effects on youth mental health.
Just before the Michigan Legislature adjourned for the year, lawmakers introduced a new package of bills that seeks to reduce teen smoking and enable better regulation of the industry. The Protect MI Kids legislation would end the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, tax e-cigarette and vaping products containing nicotine, and increase funding for smoking prevention and cessation programs.
The legislation would also require tobacco retailers to be licensed, enabling the state to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors, and repeal ineffective policies that punish kids for buying and using tobacco, among other positive changes.
Many of the policies included in the package will bring Michigan better in line with the majority of other states. Thirty states–including all of our neighbors: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin–currently tax e-cigarettes and 34 states already require tobacco retailers to be licensed.
Some of the policies also expand regulation on traditional cigarettes, raising the excise tax for the first time in nearly twenty years and ending the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes.
The additional tax on cigarettes would be used to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs, an area that has long been underfunded in Michigan compared to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Strengthening policies shown to reduce teen smoking will have long-term positive health impacts. In Michigan, 16,200 adults die from smoking-related illnesses each year. The majority of daily smokers began smoking in adolescence and young adulthood, pointing to the importance of policies to reduce the prevalence of smoking among youth.
Young people of all races and ethnic backgrounds use tobacco products and face the risk of addiction to nicotine, but disparities exist due to differences in social, economic and environmental factors as well as, in some cases, predatory marketing strategies by tobacco companies. Aggressive marketing of menthol cigarettes in Black communities has contributed to racial disparities in health, as menthol cigarettes are more addictive. Research has also demonstrated higher prevalence of smoking among American Indian, rural and LGBTQ+ youth, contributing to tobacco-related health disparities.
While rates of smoking have long been declining in both urban and rural communities, young people in rural areas continue to face higher risk of smoking. The higher prevalence may be due to socioeconomic factors, easier access, greater exposure to cigarette advertising and weaker enforcement of anti-tobacco regulations, among other differences. Cigarette use on the 2020 Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth survey was highest among rural counties.
Updating and expanding our state tobacco laws to reflect changes in the industry and trends in teen smoking is necessary to ensure we are protecting the health of young Michiganders and reducing smoking-related health disparities. In addition to the policies promoted in the Protect MI Kids package, Michigan must continue to collect quality data, such as that provided by statewide surveys, to help quantify changes in smoking patterns so we can better understand the effects of policy changes.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
