Key Points: 

• Connecticut’s vaping industry provided more than $341 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 478 direct vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Connecticut exceeded $3.5 million in 2016.

• As of January 17, 2020, CDPH has reported 46 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses, including one death. CDPH does not offer current cases counts with information on age, gender, or substances vaped. CDPH deserves a D for its transparency on vaping-related lung illnesses.  

• In 2017, only 23.9 percent of Connecticut high school students cited flavors as a reason for e-cigarette use. More data is needed.  

• Only 4 percent of FDA retail compliance checks in Connecticut resulted in sales of e-cigarettes to minors from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

• Connecticut spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Connecticut dedicated $0 to tobacco control programs including education and prevention, despite receiving $459.6 million in tobacco settlement payments and taxes in the same year.