State Representative Bonnie Rich (R-Suwannee) was recently was named a 2020 Legislative Champion of the Year by the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians (GAFP) for her commitment to protecting children from the health risks caused by vaping through her work on Senate Bill 375.

“I want to commend the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians for fighting for youth and family health here in Georgia,” said Rep. Rich. “It is astounding that approximately half a million Americans die every year from diseases linked to tobacco usage. I am grateful to my colleagues in the House and Senate for recognizing the threat that vaping poses to our youth by taking swift action to address vaping on and off school campuses.”

During the 2020 legislative session, Rep. Rich co-sponsored Senate Bill 375 along with State Senator Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21, matching preexisting federal law; the legal age in Georgia was previously 18. SB 375 also bans vaping products on school grounds and increases penalties for possession of these products by minors. SB 375 was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on July 22, 2020 and went into effect the same day. State Senator Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) was also named a 2020 Legislative Champion of the Year by GAFP.

“Senator Mullis’s and Representative Rich’s resolve to make it harder for our children to have access to vaping products, especially around schools, is praiseworthy,” said Dr. Jeff Stone, president of the Georgia Academy. “A generation of Georgia’s youth will be healthier because of the two of them.”

Established in 1947, the GAFP is a member chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. GAFP strives to promote the health of the citizens of Georgia by advancing the specialty of Family Medicine through education, advocacy and service to family physicians in the state of Georgia.

For more information on the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, please click here.

For more information on SB 375, please click here.