Read articles from United States of America

February 28, 2023 by hawaiinewsnow.com

Health and youth advocates say vaping by middle and high school students is a crisis ― and they are calling on lawmakers to ban all flavored vape and tobacco products.

While opponents say the problem is being exaggerated, teachers say they deal with it every day.

Lawmakers are expected to pass substantial legislation after a ban on flavored vape products passed last year but was vetoed because of flaws.

February 28, 2023 by wsj.com

Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc. is in advanced talks to buy e-cigarette startup NJOY Holdings Inc. for at least $2.75 billion and plans to divest its stake in Juul Labs Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal for NJOY, one of the few e-cigarette makers whose products have clearance from federal regulators, could be announced as soon as this week, the people said, though the talks could still fall apart. The proposed deal includes an additional $500 million earnout if certain regulatory milestones are met, the people said. The Wall Street Journal reported last June that NJOY had hired advisers and was exploring a sale.

February 14, 2023 by vaping360.com

A new House bill would require the FDA to update its vaping product enforcement guidance to specify “how the agency will prioritize enforcement against disposable ENDS products.” The bill was introduced last week by Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, and has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“As the mother of two children and a former healthcare executive, I am pleased to introduce this critical legislation,” said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat serving South Florida’s 20th congressional district. “I am calling on the Biden Administration to close this harmful loophole for the sake of our youth and to put an end to this national epidemic.”

February 14, 2023 by regulatorwatch.com

The dream may finally be a reality with the recent announcement of a “strategic alignment” between two powerhouse vaping advocacy groups in the U.S., SFATA, the Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association, and the USVA, the United States Vaping Association.

Joining us today to walk through the “unified stance” of the two groups are SFATA president April Meyers and USVA president Travis Pinkerton. Also, Darryl Tempest joins the conversation as SFATA’s strategic advisor and representative from the North American Vapor Alliance.

Could unified forces make a difference?

February 13, 2023 by townhall.com

Michael Bloomberg, billionaire and former mayor of NYC, recently announced an additional $140 million campaign against flavored e-cigarette and tobacco products. This comes three years after the nanny state enthusiast donated $160 million towards the same battle. Unfortunately, these bans have come at a cost to young adults. Policymakers need to stop being blinded by his billions and instead embrace tobacco harm reduction products.

In the press release, Bloomberg Philanthropies takes pride in having “successfully supported the passage of 55 state and local flavor bans,” and points to the declines in U.S. youth e-cigarette use.

February 10, 2023 by filtermag.org

President Joe Biden was set to announce in his February 7 State of the Union (SOTU) address how he’d lead the charge to reduce the number of cancer deaths in the United States once and for all: by eliminating combustible cigarette use.

News reports and a press call from the White House suggested that he’d make this statement as part of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, but it was left, it appears, on the cutting room floor. Biden himself did not bring it up.

February 09, 2023 by civilbeat.org

Rep. Scot Matayoshi has been trying to fight e-cigarettes for four years. This year, Matayoshi and other lawmakers have a new approach: tax electronic smoking devices and e-liquid products at a rate of 70%.

Right now, e-cigarettes only have the general excise tax of between 4.1% and 4.7% attached to them. Combustible cigarettes sold in Hawaii carry other taxes.

“Vape shops are gonna have to raise their prices or go out of business,” Matayoshi said. “When you’re selling a really addictive substance, I’m not sure if I have that much sympathy.”

February 07, 2023 by thehill.com

Last year, California voters supported Proposition 31, a ballot referendum banning the sale of flavored tobacco products in California. 

Despite this ban, which now makes it illegal to sell flavored tobacco products in California, recent on-the-ground reports show that flavored tobacco products are abundant on many store shelves. This can be attributed to two primary factors:  confusing and conflicting guidance regarding what products are legal for retailers to sell, and a lack of enforcement of the ban.

February 07, 2023 by nypost.com

A majority of Americans support a ban on all tobacco products, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The poll, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Preventing Chronic Disease on Thursday, asked people if they would support policies for a ban on menthol cigarettes and the sale of all tobacco products.

Out of the survey’s 6,455 participants, 62.3% of people supported a ban on menthol cigarettes and 57.3% were in favor of a policy that would stop the sale of tobacco products overall.

February 03, 2023 by thehill.com

The tobacco industry is acting as if it’s above the law in California, and it ought to be a wake-up call about its quiet intentions to reverse the gains that have been made in reducing tobacco use over the past two decades.

In peddling addiction to children, the tobacco industry has refused to take no for an answer in California — not from parents, not from legislators, not from the courts and not from voters. Like any drug dealer, it keeps pushing, and it keeps trying to win over the most vulnerable potential customers: kids.