Key Points: 

• Tennessee’s vaping industry provided more than $226 million in economic activity in 2018 while generating 2,864 direct vaping-related jobs. Sales of disposables and prefilled cartridges in Tennessee exceeded $8.3 million in 2016.

• As of January 9, 2020, TDH has reported 77 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses, including two deaths. TDH notes the role of THC-containing vapor products, but does not give case counts for Tennessee. TDH earns a C for its reporting on vaping-related lung illnesses.

• In 2017, only 1.5 percent of Tennessee high school students reported daily e-cigarette use. More data is needed.   

• Only 6 percent of FDA retail compliance checks in Tennessee resulted in sales of e-cigarettes to minors from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019.

• Tennessee spends very little on tobacco prevention. In 2019, Tennessee dedicated $0 on tobacco control, despite receiving $422 million in tobacco settlement payments and taxes.