Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program (GTUPP)
Program Overview
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program works to reduce disease, disability and death related to tobacco use by addressing four goal areas:
- Preventing the initiation of tobacco use among young people;
- Promoting quitting among young people and adults;
- Eliminating nonsmokers’ exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); and
- Identifying and eliminating the disparities related to tobacco use and its effects among different population groups.
Georgia Tobacco 21 Law Information
The Southeast Health District reminds tobacco retailers that the state of Georgia has implemented Senate Bill 375 (often referred to as Tobacco 21 or T21), a law that raised the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21 years old.
What is Senate Bill 375 (Tobacco 21 or T21)? As of July 22, 2020, the sale or barter (directly or indirectly) of any cigarettes, tobacco products, tobacco-related objects, alternative nicotine products or vapor products to anyone under the age of 21 years is illegal in Georgia.
What are retailers required to do? Retailers are responsible for upholding the law. The Georgia Department of Revenue conducts compliance checks and enforces the law continuously to ensure retailers are following federal and state Tobacco 21 laws that prohibit the sale of all tobacco products to those under 21. Failure to comply with the Tobacco 21 law will result in a misdemeanor.
Retailers must:
- Display Tobacco 21 signage in clearly visible locations.
- Use a state-issued driver’s license, military ID, and passport to verify individuals’ age.
- Train all staff on the following steps for every tobacco sale:
- Ask for valid ID from everyone attempting to purchase tobacco products.
- Check ID to make sure everyone is 21 years and older.
- Refuse to sell tobacco products to everyone under 21.
Why public health needs retailers’ help? There has been an alarming increase in the use of tobacco products, e-cigarettes and flavored delivery systems among youth and young adults in our community. Almost 1 of every 5 high school students in Georgia are current tobacco users of cigarettes, hookah, cigars, smokeless tobacco or electronic cigarettes (Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2019). As a licensed tobacco retailer, you play an important role in ensuring the success of reducing access and use of tobacco products by complying with the Tobacco 21 law.
What free resources for quitting tobacco are available?
The Georgia Tobacco Quit Line (GTQL) is a FREE public health service available to help Georgians quit smoking, vaping and stop using all forms of tobacco products. Georgia residents 13 years and older who want to quit smoking, vaping or using tobacco, can call the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line:
1-877-270-7867 (English) • 1-877-266-3863 (Spanish) • 1-877-777-6534 (Hearing Impaired)
You will receive:
- Telephone, text and web-based services for all tobacco user 13 years and older
- 5-call program to all Georgians: one registration call and four proactive counseling calls with a professional Quit Coach (1 day after the set quit date, 1 week after the set quit date, follow up calls 2-3 weeks thereafter).
- Services and support for pregnant and postpartum women
- Cessation (quitting) services that address the use of all tobacco products
- Translation support for multiple languages
- Referrals to community resources
- FREE 4-week supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs), gum or patch, for qualified Georgia residents
Youth and young adults who wish to quit vaping (e-cigs) may enroll in This is Quitting by texting VAPEFREEGA to 88709.
Let’s work together to keep our youth and young adults tobacco-free!