STATE OF CONNECTICUT TOBACCO LAWS

Connecticut has a variety of laws in place that:

• protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke and aerosol,
• protect young people from accessing tobacco and e-cigarette products,
• protect workers from secondhand smoke,
• restrict tobacco use in the workplace and in food preparation, and
• Provide Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation.

Please see the list below of applicable laws.

Cessation Access

Sec. 17b-278a. Coverage for treatment for smoking cessation.

Secondhand Smoke Protections                                                                  

CT Clean Indoor Air Act Amendments Summary

Sec. 19a-342. (Formerly Sec. 1-21b). Smoking prohibited. Exceptions. Signs required. Penalties.

  Sec. 19a-342a. Use of electronic nicotine or cannabis delivery system or vapor product prohibited. Exceptions. Signage required. Penalties.

Sec. 53-198. Smoking in motor buses, railroad cars and school buses.

* The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services requires all state mental health facilities to be smoke-free, and the Joint Commission of Hospitals and Organizations requires its members to be smoke-free.

Tobacco Use in the Workplace 

Sec. 21a-157. (Formerly Sec. 19-289). Communicable diseases bar to employment. Examination.

  Sec. 31-40q. Prohibition on smoking and use of electronic nicotine and cannabis delivery systems and vapor products in the workplace.

Sec. 31-40s. Smoking or use of tobacco products outside of the workplace.

Youth Access Protections and Education                                                  

CT General Statute 53-344: Tobacco Sale or Delivery to Persons Under Age 21 Summary

Sec. 53-344. Sale or delivery of cigarettes or tobacco products to persons under age twenty-one. Misrepresentation of age. Presentation of driver's license or identity card to establish age. Transaction scans. Affirmative defense.

Sec. 53-344b. Sale or delivery of electronic nicotine delivery systems or vapor products to persons under twenty-one years of age. Misrepresentation of age by persons under twenty-one years of age. Transaction scans. Affirmative defense.

Sec. 12-285c. Restrictions on shipping or transporting cigarettes. Penalties.

Sec. 12-295a. Sale or delivery to minors. Online education program. Civil penalty. Suspension or revocation of license. Removal of vending machine.

Sec. 10-19. Teaching about alcohol, nicotine or tobacco, drugs and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Training of personnel.

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REGULATION & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Several state agencies are involved in regulating and enforcing tobacco laws or educating and funding tobacco prevention in Connecticut.

• Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) – Certificate of Registration
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Dealer
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Manufacturer
  • Café Tobacco Bar Liquor Permit
  • General questions and licensing questions: 860-713-6200
  • Complaints and enforcement questions: 860-713-6210.

     

• Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) – Youth Access Prevention & Enforcement

   

• Department of Public Health (DPH) – Comprehensive Tobacco Control and Prevention

   

• Department of Revenue (DOR) – Tobacco Retail Licensing and Taxation
  • To report repeat violations of sales to minors, call 860-297-5650.

     

• Office of Policy and Management (OPM) – Tobacco and Health Trust Fund Board

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FEDERAL TOBACCO LAWS

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act - An Overview | FDA

FD&C Act Chapter IX: Tobacco Products | FDA

FDA's Deeming Regulations for E-Cigarettes, Cigars, and All Other Tobacco Products | FDA

About the Synar Amendment and Program | SAMHSA

Federal Register: Smoking Aboard Aircraft

Smoke-Free Public Housing | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration. To report a potential tobacco product violation including sales to a minor, illegal marketing or advertising and unauthorized products etc., call the Tobacco Call Center at 1 (877) 287-1373 or email at CTPCompliance@FDA.hhs.gov.

 

LOCAL TOBACCO LAWS

Local jurisdictions may have stronger tobacco laws, if not preempted.

Check your local code for tobacco use laws.

Local and state police. Citizens can file a complaint with their local or state police department.

*The Tobacco Control Program will update this section as we gather more information about local protections and initiatives.   

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For further information on these laws, contact:

CT DPH Tobacco Control Program

Email: DPHTobacco@ct.gov, Phone: 860-509-8251

 

For further information on youth access, contact:

CT DMHAS Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program

Email: Tobacco.prevention@ct.gov, Phone: 860-418-7000

 

*This information is not intended to substitute advice from your legal professional.

 

Last Updated February 9, 2024