The Tobacco Control Act (TCA) allows the secretary of health and human services to regulate record keeping by anyone involved in the tobacco business in order to monitor the movement of products from the point of manufacture through distribution to retail. In March 2023 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a new rule: “Requirements for Tobacco Product Manufacturing Practice” (TPMP). One of the main purposes of the TPMP rule is to establish a system for tracking and tracing tobacco products throughout the distribution chain and improve enforcement.
This report examines existing federal rules for tracing tobacco products, as well as the individual states that have chosen to use digital tax stamps as part of their regulatory framework.
