Key Points: 

• Georgia’s vaping industry provided more than $644 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 2,532 direct vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Georgia exceeded $18.8 million in 2016.

• As of January 10,2020, GDPH has reported 40 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses, including five deaths. GDPH notes patients report using THC and CBD, but does not give official case counts. GDPH earns a C for its reporting on vaping-related lung illnesses.

• In 2018, only 3.4 percent of Georgia high school students reported daily e-cigarette use. More data is needed.   

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

• Georgia spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Georgia dedicated only $750,000 on tobacco control, or less than 1 percent of what the state received in tobacco settlement payments and taxes.