CDC Halts New Antismoking Ads After 14-Year Campaign, Offering States Reduced Funding
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
CDC Halts New Antismoking Ads After 14-Year Campaign, Offering States Reduced Funding
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
Summary
The CDC has stopped producing new antismoking ads and will not negotiate nationwide airtime, instead giving states reduced funding to run older spots from its archive.
That pullback follows the shutdown of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health, which has been closed for more than a year after staff layoffs and remains inactive despite Congress restoring funding last summer.
State quit-line operators said calls and enrollments for counseling and nicotine-replacement programs have fallen sharply since the ads went off the air.
The retreat dismantles a 14-year campaign that research found effective at pushing smokers to quit, part of a broader rollback of federal antismoking efforts under Trump.
As federal support wanes, who now bears the cost and responsibility for helping Americans quit smoking?
With smoking rates at a historic low, are federal anti-smoking campaigns still a necessary public health tool?
Can promoting vaping as a safer alternative effectively replace traditional government anti-smoking campaigns?
CDC’s “Tips From Former Smokers” Campaign Ends: Funding Cuts Threaten Decades of Declining Smoking Rates and Billions in Savings
Overview
The CDC's 'Tips From Former Smokers' campaign ended in September 2025 after 13 impactful years. This campaign stood out by sharing real stories from people living with the serious health effects of smoking, motivating many smokers to try quitting and connecting them to resources like the 1-800-QUIT-NOW helpline. Its effectiveness led to record-low smoking rates and saved billions in healthcare costs. However, federal funding cuts and the closure of the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health forced the campaign to end, raising concerns that progress in reducing smoking may be lost and that many smokers will lose vital support.