TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION 101: ALABAMA

Key Points:

• Alabama’s vaping industry provided more than $319 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 1,182 direct vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Alabama exceeded $9.9 million in 2016.

• As of December 18, 2019, ADPH has reported 13 vaping-related lung illnesses, including one death, but does not provide information on age, gender, and substances vaped. ADPH earns an F for its lack of transparency on vaping-related lung illnesses.

• In 2015, only 2 percent of Alabama high school students reported daily use of vapor products. More data is needed.

• Only 2 percent of FDA retail compliance checks resulted in sales of e-cigarettes to minors from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

• Alabama spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Alabama dedicated only $2.1 million on tobacco control, or 0.6 percent of what the state received in tobacco settlement payments and taxes.