Massachusetts’ Flavored Tobacco Product Restriction Projected to Save More Than $70 Million in Smoking-Related Health Care Costs Since 2020 Implementation

Massachusetts’ Flavored Tobacco Product Restriction Projected to Save More Than $70 Million in Smoking-Related Health Care Costs Since 2020 Implementation

BOSTON (March 9, 2025) — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today released a report on the impact of An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control, the historic legislation that restricts the sale of all flavored tobacco products—including menthol cigarettes—exclusively to licensed smoking bars, where these products may be sold only for onsite consumption. The report analyzed the impact of the legislation on smoking-related health care costs in the Commonwealth.

 

The report, conducted by DPH’s Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program in collaboration with economists John Tauras, PhD, and Frank Chaloupka, PhD at the University of Illinois at Chicago, concluded that restricting menthol cigarette sales reduced the smoking prevalence in Massachusetts by 1.37 percentage points between June 2020 and January 2023.

 

As a result of reduced smoking prevalence, the economists projected reductions in chronic diseases and resulting health care costs for lung cancer, heart attack, and stroke; and reductions in smoking-related birth/pregnancy complications and related health care costs for the children of these pregnancies during their first year of life. Adjusted for inflation, the projected 10-year cost savings were close to $200 million.

 

With the menthol cigarette restriction of An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control taking effect July 1, 2020, 2025 marked the five-year anniversary of the full enactment of the legislation. Economists projected total five-year cost savings to be just over $70 million.

 

“Commemorating five years since the enactment of this historic legislation with the knowledge that this law is saving lives and money is one more way to highlight the transformative impact thoughtful policy can have on improving lives and reducing long-term health costs,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD.

 

While An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control restricted the sale of all flavored tobacco products, this analysis only looked at menthol cigarettes. In addition, projected cost savings do not account for savings from other conditions that may be affected by smoking, such as asthma. Therefore, the projected cost savings are likely underestimated.

 

A separate analysis showed the law has not had a negative effect on the number of tobacco stores, convenience stores, and convenience stores with gas stations that sell tobacco products, the number of employees of these stores, and the wages paid to employees. 

 

More details about the models and analysis used for the cost-savings estimates and impact on tobacco retailers are available in the full reports. Additional law evaluation data is also available via the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program’s Statewide Evaluation Dashboard.