Read articles from United States of America

September 19, 2018 by forbes.com

The FDA has a regulatory dilemma on its hands with e-cigarettes. In one sense, the government might want to encourage e-cigarette use as a public health policy because if e-cigarettes replace regular cigarettes they would save lives and billions of dollars in healthcare costs. On the other hand, claims are multiplying that e-cigarettes appeal to teenagers and may serve as a gateway to real smoking, meaning that e-cigarettes worsen public health.

September 18, 2018 by nationalreview.com

A couple of Stanford engineers who had been cursed with smoking habits invented what is now the most popular smoking-cessation tool on the market — and the FDA has just declared war on it, because it looks trashy. The FDA has ordered five big players in the vaping business — JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, blu, and Logic — to submit plans for keeping their products out of the hands of minors, giving them 60 days to do so — and threatening to take their products off the market if Washington is not satisfied.

September 18, 2018 by cstoredecisions.com

Smokeless tobacco remains a dependable product category, with popular brands like Copenhagen, Skoal and Grizzly, a plethora of price promotions, and a solid customer base made larger by Americans transitioning from cigarettes due, in part, to the greater social acceptability of smokeless. Despite the threat of continued regulation, smokeless remains a durable part of c-store tobacco sets. According to IRI, store sales of smokeless tobacco for the 52-week period ending July 15, 2018 rose to nearly $7.2 billion, an increase of 9.06%.

September 17, 2018 by reuters.com

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Friday he was “completely in support” of the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed crackdown on e-cigarettes. “We are not going to permit e-cigarettes to become a pathway to nicotine dependency” or the use of combustible tobacco, Azar said in an interview with CNBC.

He said he disagreed with a belief that banning e-cigarettes would push youth towards traditional cigarettes.

September 14, 2018 by vaping360.com

Most Americans think vaping is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes, or even worse, according to a new poll. That should come as no surprise to anyone who has watched the campaign to demonize vaping and nicotine explode during this decade. Key findings of the poll were: 50% of Americans believe vaping is no safer than smoking cigarettes, 13% believe vaping is less safe than smoking, 20% believe vaping is safer than smoking, 17% are unsure which is safer.

September 13, 2018 by gizmodo.com

According to Bloomberg, Juul has “worked to remove more than 16,000 listings from online marketplaces since January.” As Vice News noted earlier this year, foreign manufacturers often make cloned versions of popular vaping products that are designed to be indistinguishable from the real thing. Counterfeit products are hardly new, but fake vapes are particularly eyebrow-raising because cheap batteries can explode, e-liquids sold alongside them could be loaded with toxic chemicals, and the devices could improperly heat up, releasing harmful substances instead of vapor. And, as Juul was quick to point out, buying a clone on eBay means age verification of buyers likely never happens (not that it’s hard for teens to get their hands on a real one).

September 13, 2018 by antithrlies.com

So today FDA Commissioner Gottlieb is pumping cigarette company stock prices by threatening to ban flavors in vapor products (or something — not entirely clear), unless the manufacturers magically get teenagers to switch back to smoking instead (or something — not entirely clear). I wanted to address one aspect of this rhetorical game that does not get talked about enough. I doubt there is any serious observer of this space who does not get this, but much of what is said seems to overlook it rather than drilling down to it as it should.

September 13, 2018 by futurism.com

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued more than 1,000 warning letters to retailers and manufacturers of e-cigarettes. It is, according to an FDA press release, “the largest coordinated enforcement effort in the FDA’s history.” In the letters, the FDA gives manufacturers, including JUUL, just 60 days to demonstrate that they can keep the nicotine-infused products out of the hands of minors. If the companies don’t succeed, the administration could ban candy-like flavors like mango and crème brûlée, which the FDA sees as particularly appealing to teens. “JUUL Labs will work proactively with FDA in response to its request,” said a JUUL spokesperson. “We are committed to preventing underage use of our product, and we want to be part of the solution in keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of young people.”

September 12, 2018 by bmj.com

Heated tobacco products (also called ‘heat-not-burn’ products) heat tobacco at temperatures below that of combustion, causing nicotine and other compounds to aerosolise. One such product, IQOS from Philip Morris International, is being marketed internationally with claims of harm reduction. We sought to determine whether exposure to IQOS aerosol impairs arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of vascular endothelial function that is impaired by tobacco smoke.

September 10, 2018 by mariettatimes.com

When people begin smoking at a young age, they are more likely to acquire a lifelong addiction, according to medical studies, and Washington County Health Commissioner Dick Wittberg believes that raising the minimum age for legal tobacco purchase from 18 to 21 will have long-ranging impacts on the health of Washington County residents. Tobacco 21, being overseen by the health department’s tobacco prevention coordinator, Stephanie McPeek (..)