Recently on social media, the Georgia Department of Health (GADOH) criticized e-cigarettes, suggesting they are dangerous. This position, unfortunately, aligns with the agency’s history of skepticism toward vaping as a tobacco harm reduction tool, despite evidence from numerous public health organizations that find e-cigarettes less harmful and helpful in assisting adults to quit smoking.
Policymakers should be wary of the misinformation being spread by a taxpayer-funded agency tasked with protecting public health. It is especially concerning that there are more than 1 million Georgia adults who currently smoke who can’t rely on a health agency to provide accurate information on the benefits of e-cigarettes.
In a July 24 post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the agency shared a graphic posting the question: “Is vaping better than smoking?” The graphic implied a negative answer by stating, “E-cigarettes contain thousands of toxic chemicals.” The GADOH added, “E-cigarettes harbor thousands of toxic chemicals that are harmful to your body.”
This consistent stance is echoed on the GADOH’s webpage on e-cigarettes, which describes these products as coming in “colorful, fun and unique designs,” with appealing flavors particularly attractive to youth. The GADOH also highlights that vapes contain “high levels of nicotine” and that e-cigarette “aerosol exposure is unsafe, containing harmful chemicals and metals … which can interfere with lung development and health.”
This is similar to the GADOH stance in 2019. Though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had attributed the then-spate of vaping-related lung injuries to illicit vapor products containing THC, in November 2019, the GADOH urged “that individuals do not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices.”
Rather than fostering alarmism by disseminating misinformation, public health agencies should focus on reducing smoking rates by embracing technological advances in tobacco harm reduction, including the adoption of e-cigarettes. It is projected that in 2024, Georgia will spend more than $3.6 billion on smoking-related healthcare costs. The GADOH is expected to receive $422 million (a 6 percent increase in state funding) in the state’s 2025 budget proposal. This is an increase of $22 million from the 2024 budget.
The potential savings from reduced smoking-related costs are significant if the GADOH were to support the use of tobacco harm reduction products instead of perpetuating misinformation. Moreover, numerous public health organizations, including the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, have found e-cigarettes to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes — a fact the Georgia DOH is hiding.
The CDC has stated that e-cigarettes are “less harmful than regular cigarettes” and that e-cigarette vapor “generally contains fewer toxic chemicals” than combustible cigarettes. The FDA has authorized the sale of more than 40 e-cigarette products, recognizing their potential for public health. In fact, the FDA’s most recent marketing orders for seven e-cigarette products concluded that these products could benefit adults who smoke cigarettes.
Combustible cigarettes are the most deadly tobacco products, responsible for more than 11,000 adult deaths annually in Georgia. In 2022, 1.1 million adults in Georgia were smoking. Lower-income individuals are disproportionately affected, with 25.8 percent of Georgian adults earning less than $25,000 annually smoking in 2022, compared to only 7.2 percent of those earning $50,000 or more.
Interestingly, while smoking rates among Georgian adults decreased by 16.7 percent from 2021 to 2022, the percentage of adults vaping increased by 60.4 percent during the period. In 2022, more than 647,000 Georgia adults were vaping. Among those over 25 who vaped, nearly half (48.2 percent) reported having previously smoked, while 37.8 percent were using cigarettes.
As a tobacco harm reduction tool, e-cigarettes have proven more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapy in helping adults quit smoking. They have also been economically beneficial to Georgia, generating more than $9.3 million in state vapor excise tax revenue in 2023, and contributing more than $432 million to the economy in the year.
Georgia policymakers should demand greater transparency and accurate information from the state health department. The 1.1 million adults who smoke in Georgia deserve accurate facts, not misinformation. The approach to public health should be rooted in accurate data and transparent communication to guide the public toward healthier choices. However, the current narrative pushed by the GADOH overlooks significant evidence and undermines the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative for those looking to quit smoking.
As Georgia moves forward, it is imperative for state policymakers to demand greater accountability and clarity from health officials, ensuring that the health policies enacted are based on science and genuine public health interests rather than misplaced fears.
