TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION 101: COLORADO

Key Points: 

• Colorado’s vaping industry provided more than $412 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 2,821 direct vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Colorado exceeded $8.7 million in 2016.

• As of January 8, 2020, CDPHE has reported eight cases of vaping-related lung illness. CDPHE noted that three of the patients reported vaping THC. CDPHE earns an A for its reporting on vaping-related lung illnesses.

• In 2017, 27 percent of Colorado high school students reported using vapor products at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. There is no information on frequent and/or daily use. More data is needed.  

• Only 3 percent of FDA retail compliance checks resulted in sales of e-cigarettes to minors from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

• Colorado spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Colorado dedicated only $23.6 million on tobacco control, or 8 percent of what the state received in tobacco settlement payments and taxes.