Georgia Highlights

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Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Georgia. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Georgia’s elected officials:

  1. Increase the cigarette tax by a $1.50 per pack or more and equalize taxes for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes;
  2. Pass legislation to ensure all Georgia Medicaid enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based treatments to quit tobacco without barriers to access; and
  3. Increase funding for the Georgia tobacco prevention and control program.
During the 2024 legislative session in Georgia, members of the General Assembly did not make strong tobacco prevention and control policies a priority. While we had success in introducing House Bill 1343, which removes barriers to access tobacco cessation treatment for Medicaid recipients, it did not get a hearing in committee.

A tobacco and retail industry effort to pass House Bill 1260, a Nicotine Vapor Products Directory based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration pre-market tobacco application status, failed to get to the floor for a vote. Big tobacco companies introduced similar legislation in most states that had a state legislative session in 2024. However, industry was successful in passing House Resolution 1283, a study committee on Safety and Consumer Protection of Nicotine Vapor Products. The American Lung Association testified at one of the study committee hearings on evidence-based tobacco prevention and control policies.

In 2025, the American Lung Association in Georgia will join our tobacco control partners to educate state and local officials on the health and economic benefits of strong tobacco control policies. This includes the state policy goals highlighted above.

Georgia Facts
Healthcare Costs Due to Smoking: $3,182,695,641
Adult Smoking Rate: 12.00%
Adult Tobacco Use Rate: 19.30%
High School Smoking Rate: 3.30%
High School Tobacco Use Rate: 18.80%
Middle School Smoking Rate: N/A
Smoking Attributable Deaths per Year: 11,690
Adult smoking and tobacco use data come from CDC’s 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; adult tobacco use includes cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. High school smoking and tobacco use rates are taken from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. A current middle school smoking rate is not available for this state.

Health impact information is taken from the Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software. Smoking-attributable deaths reflect average annual estimates for the period 2005-2009 and are calculated for persons aged 35 years and older. Smoking-attributable healthcare expenditures are based on 2004 smoking-attributable fractions and 2009 personal healthcare expenditure data. Deaths and expenditures should not be compared by state.

Georgia Information

Learn more about your state specific legislation regarding efforts towards effective Tobacco Control.

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