Tobacco Control Alliance warns that the rapid growth in the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products has become a major public health challenge in Georgia, urging swift legislative action — including raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21.
Alliance says the 2025 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) shows that Georgia has made notable progress over the past decade, with overall tobacco use declining from 33% to 24%. Despite this 9% decrease, smoking prevalence remains well above the European average. At the same time, the organization highlights a sharp increase in the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products over the past three years, which it describes as particularly alarming.
The Alliance emphasizes that Georgia’s strategic objective is to move beyond traditional tobacco control toward a “tobacco endgame” policy and become a tobacco-free country by 2040. This goal involves reducing the use of tobacco and all nicotine alternatives to below 5% of the population. The organization notes that tobacco-related harm places a severe financial and demographic burden on the country, estimating that damage caused by tobacco is ten times greater than the tax revenues generated by the industry.
To achieve this target, the Tobacco Control Alliance proposes a comprehensive package of measures. These include equal taxation of all tobacco products and raw materials to prevent shifts to cheaper alternatives; accession to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products; and extending plain packaging and advertising bans to nicotine-free electronic cigarettes and herbal smoking products. The Alliance also calls for banning all flavors except tobacco flavor, citing their strong appeal to children and adolescents.
Key proposals further include raising the legal age for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21; prohibiting individuals born after 2015 from ever purchasing tobacco products; doubling fines for tobacco sales near schools and kindergartens and restoring a special licensing system; and significantly increasing penalties for violations of smoking bans in enclosed spaces. The organization also urges a complete ban on smoking in casinos and on theater stages, along with higher fines for smoking in the metro.
Additional recommendations include adopting a government regulation on transparency in relations with the tobacco industry, strengthening the laboratory capacity of the National Center for Disease Control, restoring funding for tobacco control programs, and imposing compensation obligations on the tobacco industry for damage caused to public health.
Based on the 2025 survey, 75% of the population supports these proposed changes. The Tobacco Control Alliance says this level of public backing represents a clear public mandate and stresses that the government’s commitment to protecting future generations must be reflected in concrete action — otherwise, it would signal that the interests of the tobacco industry are being placed above the health of citizens.
