Read articles from United States of America

January 01, 2020 by nytimes.com

The Trump administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarette cartridges popular with teenagers, but allow menthol and tobacco flavors to remain on the market.

Flavored liquid nicotine used in open tank systems can continue to be sold, according to two administration officials who have been briefed on the plan. It is an important concession to vape shops that have thrived alongside the booming e-cigarette business in recent years.

December 27, 2019 by vapingpost.com

Here’s an unpopular opinion: The vaping industry made the wrong move supporting the Trump administration’s bid to implement a higher tobacco sales age.

That is my honest opinion. In light of what has happened, the attempts to regulate e-cigarettes more than they already are has caused the industry to succumb to the wills of big tobacco, big pharma, and tobacco control groups. To argue against this sentiment is an attempt to justify an atrocious policy compromise built on flaws and contriteness.

December 27, 2019 by reason.com

Every week seems brings a new story about how vaping is really, really, really bad for you.

Only a few years ago, electronic cigarettes were being hailed as a new and healthier way for people to consume nicotine and pot. The number of vapers worldwide has grown sevenfold since 2011, to an estimated 41 million users. But now, vaping is being attacked as a dangerous trend that's luring teenagers into a deadly habit that might be as bad for you as conventnional smoking.

December 20, 2019 by reason.com

Between 2018 and 2019, according to the latest results from a government-sponsored survey, illegal drug use rose slightly among eighth-graders and 10th-graders while falling slightly among 12th-graders. None of the changes was statistically significant, and the story for marijuana is similar. Meanwhile, drinking and smoking continued to fall in all three grades, and there were statistically significant drops in heroin use by 10th-graders and prescription opioid use by 12th-graders.

December 20, 2019 by dailymail.co.uk

More than 2,500 Americans have been hospitalized with vaping-related lung illnesses and 54 have died, US officials confirmed Thursday. .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that people have fallen ill in all 50 states and deaths have been reported in 27 states, plus Washington, DC. 

Investigators still can't say for sure what in vaping products is causing the spate of lung illnesses but have zeroed in on THC e-cigarettes and, specifically, a sticky oil called vitamin E acetate that they call a 'strong culprit' for the crisis. 

December 20, 2019 by nytimes.com

The House and Senate have now passed a provision that would ban the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, at a time when Congress and the Trump administration are facing public pressure to reduce the soaring rates of teenage vaping.

President Trump has spoken in favor of increasing the age limit, and is expected to sign the measure into law as part of the overall spending package. Nineteen states and more than 500 cities and towns have already raised the age to 21. [...]

December 20, 2019 by eurekalert.org

In response to the pressing public health issue of vaping, clinicians of all disciplines are being asked to address this issue with youth, families and community members, despite minimal youth-focused screening or treatment guidelines. Physicians from Boston Medical Center and the University of Montreal have developed a set of recommendations that provide important insights about how clinicians can best screen, counsel and treat youth for vaping. [...]

December 19, 2019 by reuters.com

The nicotine formula used by controversial e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc is nearly identical to the flavor and addictive profile of Altria Group Inc’s highly successful Marlboro cigarette brand, new research suggests.

The formulation of Juul’s nicotine aerosol was designed to make it far easier for users to inhale larger quantities of nicotine without gagging, gasping or coughing - or even noticing.

“It becomes obvious why novice users, people who’ve never smoked before, find it easy to try Juul,” said David Peyton, [...] “And once you try it, you’re getting dosed with a high concentration of nicotine.”

December 18, 2019 by theguardian.com

Congress is moving to pass the biggest new sales restrictions on tobacco products in more than a decade, with support from two unlikely backers: the Marlboro cigarette maker, Altria, and the vaping giant Juul.

The legislation would raise the minimum age to purchase all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, from 18 to 21 nationwide [...] “Altria and Juul clearly support this in order to argue that no other action is necessary,” said Matthew Myers [...] “If you don’t eliminate the flavors that the industry has used to fuel the epidemic, you won’t solve the youth e-cigarette crisis.”

December 13, 2019 by cnn.com

Illinois is the latest state to file a lawsuit against e-cigarette maker Juul, alleging the company undid "years of progress made to reduce youth smoking rates."

The lawsuit, filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Thursday, alleges Juul used a "sleek, easy-to-conceal e-cigarette" combined with fruity flavors that masked a less harsh nicotine solution that it marketed to minors. Juul's e-cigarette device resembles a USB flash drive, can be charged via a USB port, and can be used discreetly, all features that make Juul's device more appealing to youth, according to the lawsuit. [...]