Read articles from United States of America

March 29, 2021 by wsoctv.com

A year after COVID-19 upended life for millions of Americans, there are troubling signs that the coronavirus may have also slowed progress against another deadly health threat: smoking.

Fewer smokers called quit-smoking hotlines last year and some smoked more, contributing to an unusual bump in cigarette sales — all in the middle of the stress, anxiety and uncertainty from the pandemic.

“It’s hard for folks to quit using tobacco in the best of times, so what happens when life is suddenly turned upside down?” said Jen Cash, who oversees Minnesota’s anti-tobacco programs.

March 26, 2021 by wshu.org

The Connecticut General Assembly will consider a bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and e-cigarette products in an attempt to reduce addiction, which disproportionately affects young adults and people of color.

The ban would target vape products with fruity flavors that are popular with young people. The bill would also prevent the sale of menthol flavored products. The tobacco industry has historically targeted the marketing of menthol products to African Americans, who have the highest use of menthol cigarettes out of any racial group.

March 25, 2021 by nj.com

A New Jersey school district has joined a nationwide class-action lawsuit against e-cigarette maker Juul, alleging that company minimized the health risk of its products in marketing campaigns to minors, which led to widespread vaping in the district’s six buildings.

The Freehold Regional High School District filed the suit in federal court Monday, joining about 130 others across the country in suing the Northern California-based company and Altria, a tobacco-maker with a major stake in Juul.

March 25, 2021 by cspdailynews.com

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting information from four e-cigarette companies about their use of social media and influencer marketing.

Responses will help the FDA learn who is exposed to the companies’ marketing and aid the FDA as it evaluates marketing plans in premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) reviews, conducts social media surveillance and considers strategies for reducing youth exposure to digital marketing of tobacco products.

March 25, 2021 by theamericanconsumer.org

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a dramatic increase in counterfeit products and fraudulent retail transactions across the globe. In business-to-business markets, employers are getting scammed by fraudsters who successfully peddle counterfeit PPE equipment and face masks. Entire hospitals and medical facilities were duped into purchasing sub-par PPE, among other similar scenarios that impact consumers of all types. 

March 24, 2021 by philanthropy.com

In September 2019, Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist, and Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, unveiled a $160 million, three-year campaign to end what they described as an epidemic of e-cigarette use among kids.

In a New York Times op-ed, Bloomberg and Myers attacked Big Tobacco for putting young people in serious danger by hooking them on addictive e-cigarettes, which are sold in kid-friendly flavors like cotton candy and gummy bear.

Backed by a coalition of influential nonprofits, [...] they called for a national ban on flavored e-cigarettes.

March 24, 2021 by thehill.com

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to take all flavored e-cigarettes off the market.

The 43 House Democrats sent the letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock as the agency reviews premarket tobacco applications and flavored e-cigarettes.

“Flavored e-cigarettes are putting a new generation of kids at risk of nicotine addiction and the serious health harms that result from tobacco use,” states the letter drafted by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and released Tuesday.

March 24, 2021 by flatheadbeacon.com

It took decades to understand the dangers of secondhand cigarette smoke. We’re ahead in learning about secondhand smoke from alternative nicotine devices such as e-cigarettes. Supporters erroneously claim they release only water vapor. Along with water vapor is acetone, formaldehyde and propylene glycol in addition to heavy metals nickel, tin, and lead. Exposure to secondhand aerosol is not safe. It’s why vaping should be kept outdoors.

Who opposes indoor vaping? The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

March 24, 2021 by filtermag.org

[...] It could serve as a metaphor for what’s currently happening in Vermont and across the country, as towns, cities and states continue to misunderstand the technological breakthrough of vaping and resume their battle against tobacco harm reduction.

Stalled for a while by the pandemic, the Vermont state senate recently decided to reconsider prohibiting both flavored vaping products and menthol cigarettes. That bill, S24, is currently making its way through committees, having just landed in Economic and Development.

March 24, 2021 by news-medical.net

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), some people are at a higher risk of developing severe complications.

Some of these include the elderly, those with underlying health conditions, and people with weakened immune systems. Previous studies have also tied cigarette smoking as a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

With concerns about cigarette smoking being a risk factor for severe illness from COVID-19, understanding nicotine and tobacco use patterns is essential for preventive efforts.