Read articles from United States of America

March 27, 2023 by nytimes.com

Since last August, America has been experiencing a severe shortage of Adderall and related stimulant medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While the origin of the shortfall is contested, some blame rigid manufacturing quotas imposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which the agency hasn’t lifted despite increased diagnoses, insisting that the manufacturers have not used all of their existing allowances. The D.E.A. also has yet to provide a clear explanation of the shortage or to take emergency actions to help alleviate it.

March 21, 2023 by reason.com

In 2019, The Journal of the American Heart Association published a study suggesting that nicotine vaping doubles the risk of a heart attack. The authors claimed e-cigarette use is "independently" associated with a heightened risk of myocardial infarction, which is "similar" to the risk among cigarette smokers.

Three years later, the World Journal of Oncology published a study that claimed vapers face about the same cancer risk as smokers. The authors said "prospective studies should be planned to mitigate the risk."

March 17, 2023 by filtermag.org

Massachusetts is experiencing the aftershocks of menthol prohibition. In 2020, the Bay State became the first in the country to enact a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, smokeless tobacco and vaping products. As such, it’s a real-life case study of the potential impacts of a proposed federal menthols ban. And while research on smoking rates currently raises as many questions as answers, the escalation of nicotine law enforcement is beyond dispute.

March 09, 2023 by journalnow.com

The top-selling Vuse electronic cigarette of R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. continues to widen its market-share gap with Juul in both monthly and yearly comparisons, according to the latest Nielsen convenience store report. Vuse’s market share rose from 41.5% in the previous report to 42.7%, compared with Juul declining from 26.4% to 25.6%.

Over the past 12 months, Vuse’s market share was 36.6%, compared with 29.5% for Juul.

In recent months, the shadow of a potential banning of Juul Labs Inc.’s e-cigarettes from U.S. retail shelves, as well as a potential Juul Labs Inc. federal bankruptcy filing, has accelerated the market-share gains of Vuse.

March 09, 2023 by cnn.com

The US Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it is proposing new requirements for tobacco companies that would help prevent contamination of their products and set some standards for the way they make and package products so regulators and consumers will know precisely what is in them.

The proposed rules would apply to all FDA-regulated bulk and finished tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes.

March 02, 2023 by reason.org

A new research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine concludes that the menthol cigarette ban in Massachusetts led to a net increase in smoking among black adults. Amid the Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes in the United States, the new analysis by Samuel Asare, principal scientist in tobacco control research at the American Cancer Society, et al. suggests that prohibiting menthols, the cigarettes preferred by black smokers, might be counterproductive to stated public health goals and calls for better health equity.

March 02, 2023 by tobaccoreporter.com

Back in 2009, when planning its 10-year public health objectives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) set an ambitious goal for reducing youth smoking. At the time, said government data, one in five teens (19.5 percent) had lit up in the past month. The Healthy People 2020 target was 16 percent.

These targets aren’t meant to be slam-dunks. In 2020, a third of the 985 trackable Healthy People objectives were met; the rest improved some, stayed the same or got worse. So what happened with high school smoking?

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.”