Connecticut And Maryland Raise Age Limit To 21 To Buy Tobacco And Vaping Products
The states join a dozen others with the change from 18 to 21 years old. Public health officials, parents and educators have raised warnings about high use of vaping products among teens. Meanwhile, Massachusetts' plan to temporarily close vaping shops is facing a backlash.
The CT Mirror:
The Legal Age To Buy Cigarettes, Vaping Products Goes Up Tuesday
Beginning Tuesday, businesses will no longer be able to sell cigarettes, cigars, chewing and pipe tobacco and vaping products to people younger than 21. The General Assembly in May threw its support behind the effort, with the Senate approving the measure 33-3 and the House backing it by a vote of 124-22. (Carlesso, 9/30)
The Baltimore Sun:
'As Difficult As Possible’: New Maryland Age Limit To Make It Tougher For Young Adults To Start Smoking
In an effort to prevent young people from getting hooked on tobacco and nicotine, Maryland is raising the age to buy cigarettes, cigars and vaping products to 21, effective Tuesday. ...Under the law, the minimum age for buying tobacco and nicotine products jumps from 18 to 21. The only exception is for members of the military, who can still buy at age 18 by showing a military identification — a concession that anti-smoking advocates made to get the law passed. (Wood, 9/30)
The Washington Post:
Maryland Law Curbing Nicotine Sales To Youths Takes Effect Amid Vaping Concerns
Nearly all teenagers will be barred from buying e-cigarettes or their analog counterparts in Maryland after Tuesday, when hundreds of new laws — including a higher smoking age — take effect. Maryland joins the District and 14 other states that restrict nicotine sales in an effort to curb an alarming surge in teen vaping. (Cox, 9/29)
In Massachusetts, stores that depend on vaping sales are reacting to a ban announced by the governor --
Bloomberg:
Shock, Anger And Sadness As Vape Shops Face Looming Bans
More than 300 operators of vaping shops across Massachusetts are reeling in the wake of a state order that they immediately cease operations for four months as U.S. health officials rush to determine the cause of a lung ailment that’s killed 12 people and sickened 805 others. ...Governor Charlie Baker’s emergency decree last week was the most aggressive action yet taken by officials seeking to contain the illness and a nationwide surge in the use of nicotine and marijuana vaporizers by minors. The impact on the fledgling industry in Massachusetts may provide a window into how consumers and businesses might cope with similar moves planned by other states, as the prospect of tighter federal regulations looms. (Moroney and Moore, 9/29)
NPR:
Store Owners Resist State Vaping Bans As 'A Death Sentence For Their Business'
The recent numbers of vaping-related illness are alarming, at best; at worst, in the eyes of federal officials, the U.S. is embroiled in a deadly, mysterious and "ongoing outbreak" across the country. ... But in Massachusetts, where Gov. Charlie Baker earlier this week declared a public health emergency, some store owners fear the severity of state officials' response as much as the outbreak itself. One vape store owner, Behram Agha, filed a lawsuit Thursday against officials at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, seeking an injunction to lift Baker's immediate four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products in the state. (Dwyer, 9/27)
News outlets report on state assessments of the outbreak of lung problems and responses --
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Vaping News Roundup: Illnesses Continue To Rise; County Urges Honesty On THC Use
Chris Kippes, director of epidemiology, surveillance and infomatics at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, said electronic-cigarette users who develop breathing problems should be honest when reporting their vaping habits to health officials, even if that means confessing to using THC. Every bit of information will help researchers pinpoint the cause of the mysterious, pneumonia-like illness, Kippes said. (Washington, 9/27)
The CT Mirror:
Connecticut Health Officials Report Increase In Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses
As the nationwide toll for vaping-related deaths hit 13 and the number of illnesses exceeded 800, state health officials said Friday that more cases have been recorded in Connecticut. The public health department has now logged 18 incidents of vaping-related lung disease, an increase of five since the office last shared data a week ago. All of the patients have been discharged from the hospital. Half required treatment in an intensive care unit. (Carlesso, 9/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Student Vaping Epidemic Has California Schools Frantically Mobilizing
The recent surge of lung illnesses and deaths linked to vaping, an increasingly entrenched habit among many youths, largely caught school authorities flat-footed, and educators are urgently mobilizing anti-vaping efforts against what they see as a dangerous teen epidemic. (Blume, Kohli and Agrawal, 9/30)
Kaiser Health News:
States Target Vaping With Bans. In California, The Action Is Local.
States are piling on. Michigan took the first statewide shot at vaping early this month when it announced a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarette products. It was soon joined by New York, and Rhode Island jumped in Wednesday. Massachusetts went further, announcing Tuesday that it would prohibit the sale of all vaping flavors and devices for four months. But in California — which prides itself on progressive policies — lawmakers this year punted on a proposal for a statewide ban on flavored tobacco products. (Ibarra, 9/30)
