Tobacco
Tobacco Use and Prevention
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in Georgia and is a modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases, which costs the state more than 11,700 lives per year and nearly $3.2 billion in direct healthcare and indirect costs, such as lost wages.
Over the last few years, adult tobacco use in the state has steadily declined. However, alternative tobacco use rates have increased, particularly among youth. Smokeless tobacco and smoking among pregnant women also remain a significant problem. Additionally, low-income, white males in rural areas continue to use tobacco at higher rates than other populations and the Medicaid population remains two to three times more likely to use tobacco than the general population.
The Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program (GTUPP) has the singular mission of eliminating tobacco use and tobacco-related disparities in Georgia by:
- Preventing Youth and Young Adults Initiation
- Promoting Cessation Among Youth and Adults
- Eliminating Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
- Monitoring, Surveillance and Evaluation
What can YOU do to reduce the negative impact of tobacco use?
- Quit tobacco use
- Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke
- Educate yourself on the dangers of tobacco use
What can BUSINESSES do to reduce the negative impact of tobacco use?
- Stop selling tobacco products
- Eliminate the illegal sale of tobacco products by checking IDs
- Create tobacco-free environments for all employees and customers
- Partner with the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line partnership or alternatively provide other cessation coverage to help employees quit tobacco use
- Eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace by enforcing the Georgia Smoke-Free Air Act of 2005
What can HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS do to reduce the negative impact of tobacco use?
- Consider tobacco use as a vital sign for chronic disease prevention.
- Ask all patients about tobacco use
- Advise patients to quit
- Refer the patient to the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line
- Educate patients on the dangers of tobacco use and dependence
- Inform the patient on the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke
- Promote the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line to all patients and employees
Additional LEGISLATION that supports tobacco and vaping control in Georgia.
Quitting is your best option to reduce your risk from smoking and tobacco use-related diseases. Vaping is not a healthy alternative to smoking. E-cigarettes and vape products are not FDA-approved cessation devices. For more information and support to help you quit contact the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line.
Click HERE for more information about quitting.
Page last reviewed 9/23/2024