The ALA “State of Tobacco Control” report is an annual report released every January which evaluates state and federal tobacco control policies and assigns letter grades “A” through “F” based on various tobacco control measures that have been proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use and, as a result, save lives. The ALA grades are intended to be used for legislative education and advocacy and do not solely reflect the work of state health agency tobacco control programs. Despite this, tobacco control program staff and health agency leadership may be asked questions or face criticism for state grades upon their release. This one-pager provides talking points which program managers and other staff can use in navigating these conversations.