Reynolds calls for increased, expanded tobacco taxes
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is proposing legislation to expand and increase taxes on smoking products, which she says are a key factor in the state’s high rate of lung cancer.
Reynolds announced the legislation during a press conference Thursday, releasing preliminary data from an ongoing study on potential contributors to Iowa’s rate of new cancer cases. As part of her legislation, Reynolds is proposing raising the state tax on a pack of cigarettes to the national average of $2.01 per pack and recommending a 15% tax on vaping products and consumable hemp products. Reynolds says national statistics indicate that 80% of lung cancer is caused by tobacco.
“So, as we’re looking at all of the other levers, I don’t think that we can set one component when it’s 80% of the narrative aside and say we’re not going to talk about that,” said Reynolds. “Our numbers are not acceptable, we have to be better, and we’ve got to understand it.”
Reynolds says the bill would also work to eliminate certain dyes and additives from school lunch programs and require physicians to complete a nutrition course as part of their continuing medical education.
“Today’s research findings make it very clear how important healthy behaviors are for the overall health and well-being,” said Reynolds. “My bill aims to really amplify that message.”
The information released Thursday looked specifically at demographic and behavioral factors related to cancer incidences, and compared Iowa to other states with similar rates of risk factors, looking at issues like binge drinking, obesity, income levels, college education, and insurance rates. While Iowa has similar cancer trends for most of the common cancer types, like melanoma, prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers, Iowa Cancer Registry Director Dr. Mary Charlton says Iowa’s lung cancer rates follow a different trend.
“This is one cancer for which we are not like our neighbors--we have a higher rate and have had a higher rate for the entire time period that we looked at, and the difference seems to be widening,” said Charlton. “Unfortunately, this plays out into lung cancer having a higher mortality rate in Iowa compared to our neighboring states. Although fortunately declining, it’s not declining at a rapid rate as it is for other states.”
UI researchers indicated that Iowa’s cancer rates started rising more rapidly beginning in 2013 and 2014, with the interim report finding that in 2022, an estimated 2,582 more Iowans were diagnosed with cancer in comparison to the national rate when comparing people of the same age and gender. Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director, pointed to specific issues tied to higher instances of lung cancer, like smoking and radon exposure, that Iowans can take steps to address on an individual level.
“Cancer outcomes are not predetermined--Iowa can reduce preventable risk, detect cancer earlier, and strengthen access to high quality care statewide, and across those rural communities, not only in our largest metro areas,” said Kruse. “For Iowans watching today, there are steps that matter right now. Test your home for radon at least every two years, and retest after major renovations. Avoid tobacco, and if you currently use it, make a plan to quit and connect with support that works for you. Limit alcohol--even small amounts of alcohol increase cancer risk.”
The research comes on the heels of a separate study indicating that Iowa had the second-highest age-adjusted rate of new cancers diagnosed in 2025 and is one of only two states in the nation with a rising rate. While the latest research is still ongoing, Reynolds says the initial results show that there isn’t “one single cause” driving Iowa’s cancer rates.
“I understand why so many Iowans want to find that one cause of cancer--when someone you love gets sick, it’s natural to want to put all of your energy and resources into one thing that might stop it from happening again,” said Reynolds. “I wish the answer was that simple as well. But know that the research will continue to look at all the evidence, including environmental factors, and we will act accordingly based on what the research finds.”
The Iowa Legislature approved Reynolds’ request in 2025 to provide $1 million in funding for the yearlong research project, conducted through a partnership between the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Iowa College of Public Health.
