TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION 101: HAWAII

Key Points:

• Hawaii’s vaping industry provided more than $100 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 451 direct vaping-related jobs. The national average of sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges exceeded $11 million in 2016.

• As of November 13, 2019, HDH has reported four cases of vaping-related lung illnesses. HDH notes two of the patients are adolescents and two are adults and offers no other information. HDH earns a D for its reporting on vaping-related lung illnesses.

• In 2018, 20.9 percent of Hawaii high school students reported using vapor products on at least one day in the previous 30 days. Only 26.4 percent of Hawaii high school students cited flavors as a reason for e-cigarette use. More data is needed.   

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

• Hawaii spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Hawaii dedicated only $4.5 million or 2 percent of what the state received in tobacco settlement payments and taxes, to tobacco control programs.