Read articles from North America

March 19, 2024 by dailycaller.com

In January, Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate a product called “Zyn,” due to supposed concerns about marketing and health effects. Despite recent data from the FDA and CDC indicating that nicotine pouch use among youth is “exceptionally low,” anti-smokers are already raising the specter of youth use in their attempt to create a similar moral panic to the one they created about vaping products.

March 18, 2024 by dallasnews.com

Dallas is weighing recommendations from a citizen-led advisory group to ban vaping in public spaces to protect vulnerable populations from what it considers harmful secondhand exposure. At a Parks, Trails and the Environment committee meeting this month, Folashade Afolabi, with the Dallas Environmental Commission, said her group recommends the city expand its definition of smoking to include e-cigarettes, cigars and vapes that create an aerosol or vapor.

March 18, 2024 by washingtonexaminer.com

A growing number of House Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to expedite the approval process for smoke-free tobacco products through the Food and Drug Administration to expand options to consumers looking to quit smoking. In a letter sent to President Joe Biden [...] a group of nearly 70 House Republicans led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) pressed the president to move forward with long-pending applications for new smoke-free products to be approved by the FDA.

March 15, 2024 by washingtonexaminer.com

A growing number of House Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to expedite the approval process for smoke-free tobacco products through the Food and Drug Administration to expand options to consumers looking to quit smoking. In a letter sent to President Joe Biden on Monday, a group of nearly 70 House Republicans led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) pressed the president to move forward with long-pending applications for new smoke-free products to be approved by the FDA. 

March 15, 2024 by townhall.com

Not wanting to stymie the alarmism by acknowledging rapid declines in youth vaping, a handful of U.S. senators are again sounding the alarm on the so-called youth vaping epidemic. A recent letter to top executives of major convenience store chains “strongly encourage[s]” retailers to comply with federal regulations and remove all unauthorized e-cigarette products from their store shelves. Unfortunately, much like previous efforts from a group of Democratic lawmakers who penned previous letters (including one in 2020 urging a ban on all flavored e-cigarettes), this is another futile attempt that disregards increasing data on youth and adult e-cigarette use in the U.S.

March 14, 2024 by nbcsandiego.com

The Schmidt National Law Group filed a lawsuit against Philip Morris, accusing them of targeting children and young adults with their product Zyn. The lawsuit seeks damages and stricter limits on access to the flavored nicotine pouches. Despite being legally purchasable by those 21 and older, the product is accessible to younger individuals. Some users claim to use Zyn as a safer alternative to vaping. The case faces a potentially lengthy litigation process, with Philip Morris yet to respond to the allegations.

March 14, 2024 by bostonherald.com

Critics are unhappy as the state Supreme Judicial Court upholds Brookline's ban on selling tobacco to anyone born this century. Justice Wendlandt found the ban aligned with state law but convenience store owners are against it. Advocates support the decision for public health. Brookline is known for strict tobacco regulations, being the first to ban smoking in public places. The ruling is seen as groundbreaking, gaining interest from other towns and even sparking similar proposals in California. Despite opposition claiming it restricts freedom, the ban is upheld for its health benefits, with advocates hoping it will inspire other places to combat the tobacco epidemic.

March 13, 2024 by gfn.tv

Zonnic pouches entered Canada with a bang in 2023 after they were approved as a smoking cessation aid, leading to their widespread availability throughout Canada. To explore why Zonnic has become so controversial, John Oyston joins us for this episode of GFN News where we dissect Zonnic's Canadian debut and the resultant response from Public Health institutions to this novel safer nicotine product.

March 13, 2024 by regulatorwatch.com

If the goal is to deny people their rights and to put lives in danger, then flavour bans would be a brilliant strategy. That’s the learned opinion of David Sweanor, a renowned tobacco control policy expert and adjunct professor in the faculty of law at the University of Ottawa. With a growing number of jurisdictions implementing bans on flavours in nicotine vapour products, Health Canada is joining the fray by reviving its 2021 proposed flavour restrictions and moving quickly to implement a nationwide ban. In this episode of RegWatch, learn about Canada’s unaccountable and evangelical health non-profits applying pressure on behalf of the ban.

March 12, 2024 by northcarolinahealthnews.org

North Carolina is utilizing $40 million from a settlement with Juul to combat youth vaping. Programs include research, data monitoring, and education initiatives. There’s a searchable database of Juul documents for public access. Despite efforts, vaping remains prevalent, with enticing flavors like Elf Bar's unapproved offerings. Federal regulations restrict flavors and sales to minors. Youth-focused cessation programs like "QuitlineNC" and "This is Quitting" aim to combat addiction. Further research, prevention, and flexible strategies are planned using additional settlement funds. The state's challenge lies in reaching youth most in need of assistance. Monitoring data and adapting programs based on effectiveness are critical for success in reducing youth vaping rates.