Read articles from North America

August 25, 2025 by cbc.ca

A new Canadian guideline advises against using e-cigarettes or vapes as a first choice to quit smoking, recommending proven methods like medications and counseling instead. Despite declining smoking rates, tobacco remains a top cause of preventable cancer deaths. The guideline highlights the risks of vaping, citing lack of long-term safety data and stresses the effectiveness of nicotine replacements like patches. It discourages alternative treatments and notes the need for further research, including on the efficacy of AI-based therapy. Overall, quitting smoking is challenging but achievable with the right support and strategies.

August 22, 2025 by hilltimes.com

It has now been a year since then–Health Minister Mark Holland introduced a federal order that limited the sale of nicotine pouches—used as smoking-cessation aids—to behind-the-counter access in pharmacies. The measure removed them from convenience stores nationwide in Canada and restricted permitted flavours in pharmacies to only mint and menthol.

August 20, 2025 by washingtontimes.com

The FDA portrays itself as protecting Americans from dangerous products, but its history suggests otherwise. Its approval of opioids helped cause the deadly epidemic that has killed hundreds of thousands since 2000. At the same time, the FDA restricts safer alternatives to cigarettes, applying stricter standards to harm-reduction products while effectively protecting cigarette companies. Although the dangers of smoking have been known since the 1960s, the 2009 Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA broad authority over nicotine products, requiring new ones to undergo a burdensome approval process to prove they benefit public health.

August 19, 2025 by axios.com

Illinois has raised its tobacco tax from 36% to 45% as part of the 2026 budget, which now also applies to nicotine pouches like Zyn. The change, effective July 1, is expected to generate about $53 million in new revenue. Zyn pouches, popular among young people for their discreet use and flavored options, are now taxed similarly to cigarettes, though they remain cheaper—a tin starts at $5.60 before tax and about $9.92 after. By contrast, heavy taxation makes cigarettes in Chicago cost up to $20 per pack, the highest in the U.S.

August 18, 2025 by the-sun.com

Starting September 1, popular items like nicotine pouches will be banned in Southborough, Massachusetts, affecting stores like 7-Eleven, with fines for violators increased to $1,000. The decision aims to prevent sales appealing to children due to flavored varieties. Despite protests from industry groups citing FDA approval and low youth usage, officials emphasize the products' risks to teens and difficulty in detection by parents. The unanimous board decision follows concerns over teens turning to pouches after a decline in youth vaping. Adult-only stores are the only remaining option for purchasing these products post-ban.

August 06, 2025 by ginn.global

In late July 2025, a national association of Canadian pharmacists firmly rejected proposals to expand nicotine pouch availability beyond pharmacy walls. A government order from the previous year requires that these pouches be sold only behind the counter of licensed pharmacies. Pharmacists oppose relaxing that restriction, arguing that the products require professional oversight and age verification and should not be stocked in general retail stores.

July 23, 2025 by reason.org

Rhode Island has increased taxes on nicotine pouches by 80%, impacting harm reduction efforts and public health. The FDA approved Zyn pouches as a safer alternative for smokers, reducing tobacco-related harms. The tax hike jeopardizes these benefits, affecting low-income individuals and potentially leading to unintended consequences such as reduced tax revenue and cross-border shopping. The move contradicts harm reduction strategies, neglecting the success of providing safer options. Nicotine pouches offer a less harmful alternative to smoking, yet the tax increase may hinder their accessibility. States should consider evidence-based policies supporting harm reduction to improve public health outcomes instead of punitive taxation.

July 23, 2025 by dcjournal.com

With most state legislatures on break, vapers have a temporary pause from new taxes and restrictions. However, the FDA’s failure to regulate harm reduction products continues to pose a threat. In 2025, Indiana and Illinois passed major tax hikes on cigarettes and vaping products, while flavor bans failed in states like Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. A consistent, science-based federal approach is urgently needed.

July 18, 2025 by cbsnews.com

The FDA has decided to allow Juul to continue selling its tobacco and menthol-flavored e-cigarettes. The agency stated that Juul's research shows these products are less harmful for adult smokers who switch completely from traditional cigarettes. This decision follows years of controversy, with Juul being widely blamed for contributing to the rise in teen vaping. The ruling applies only to the tobacco and menthol versions, as Juul had already pulled its fruit and candy flavors from the market due to their appeal to teens.

July 17, 2025 by njspotlightnews.org

New Jersey, a longtime leader in tobacco prevention, banned flavored vaping products in 2020 to protect youth. However, e-cigarette use among teens remains high, with 18.2% of high school students reporting current use. New legislation aims to strengthen enforcement of the ban by increasing penalties, requiring more inspections, and prohibiting deliveries to those under 21. Lawmakers are urged to pass these measures quickly to better protect young people’s health.