Juul Carefully Nurtured Its Political Relationships In Washington, And So It Was Left Stunned By Trump’s Aggressive Ban
Despite doing all the right things to curry favor with lawmakers and the president, in the end Juul wasn't able to protect itself from regulation. Meanwhile, as states rush to pass restrictions on vaping products, experts wonder how much of an effect the flood of legislation will really have.
The Washington Post:
Trump's Ban On Flavored Vaping Products Took A Well-Connected Industry By Surprise
Juul Labs did everything in the power players’ handbook to cement its status in Washington. The Silicon Valley start-up worked to make friends in the nation’s capital. It hired senior White House officials wired into President Trump and the first family. It sent politically connected officials to the West Wing to extol its products. It spent big on lawmakers in both parties. But last week, the e-cigarette giant along with the rest of the vaping industry, was caught off guard when President Trump decided to take drastic action, banning almost all flavored vaping products. “We can’t have our youth be so affected,” he said in the Oval Office. (McGinley, Satija, Dawsey and Abutaleb, 9/17)
The New York Times:
States Rush To Limit Vaping, But Results Remain Uncertain
After a spate of illnesses linked to vaping, states are rushing to push through bans on e-cigarettes for anyone under 21. Governors are calling for prohibitions on flavors like bubble gum, cotton candy and banana split, which critics say are meant to entice young people into trying vaping. And in some states, lawmakers are contemplating raising taxes on vaping products as a way to discourage their use. Yet amid the flood of new measures from state leaders as well as mayors, experts said it was uncertain how much immediate or lasting effect the provisions would have on a broad and growing range of concerns about vaping. (Williams and Del Real, 9/17)
Modern Healthcare:
Vaping Fight Likely More Complex Than Anti-Tobacco Efforts
Federal and state authorities quickly took action against non-tobacco vaping flavors after a spate of illnesses related to e-cigarettes, but healthcare providers are concerned about their own role in addressing vaping's dangers. The push to ban certain vaping products comes in light of an outbreak of lung illnesses and deaths associated with e-cigarettes that has racked up more than 380 cases as of Sept. 12, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seven deaths have been confirmed in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon. (Johnson, 9/17)
Reuters:
New York State Ban On Flavored E-Cigarettes Given Final Approval
New York became the second state to ban flavored e-cigarettes on Tuesday after its Democratic governor called for emergency action in response to concerns about their rising use among teens and a nationwide spate of lung illnesses. Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday called for an urgent meeting of the state's Public Health and Health Planning Council to consider the proposed ban. (Dobuzinskis, 9/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
New York Bans Sale Of Flavored E-Cigarettes
Members of the state’s Public Health and Health Planning Council approved the ban, arguing it would help stem a rise in e-cigarette use among minors, which they called a public health crisis. Michigan has also banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. Some members of the Public Health and Health Planning Council said they were torn about approving the emergency measure, while others said it should have included a ban on menthol e-cigarettes. The ban went into effect immediately and is expected to last 90 days, with the expectation that it will be renewed absent a permanent legislative ban. (West, 9/17)
The Associated Press:
Panel Approves Ban On Sale Of Flavored E-Cigs In New York
New York became the first state to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes Tuesday, a move that comes as federal health officials investigate a mysterious surge of severe breathing illnesses linked to vaping. The vote by the state Public Health and Health Planning Council means the prohibition, which covers flavored e-cigarettes and other vaping products except for menthol and tobacco flavors, goes into effect immediately. Retailers will have two weeks to remove merchandise from store shelves. (Hajela and Klepper, 9/17)
The Washington Post:
D.C. Bills Would Block E-Cigarette Sales Without A Prescription, Ban Flavored Product
D.C. lawmakers on Tuesday proposed sweeping measures to curb the rise of youth vaping, including a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and requiring a prescription to buy other electronic smoking products. A bill introduced by D.C. Council Member Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) would ban the sale of vaping products at any location that is not a medical marijuana dispensary or a pharmacy. The District would be the first U.S. jurisdiction with such stringent restrictions on e-cigarette sales. (Nirappil, 9/17)
The Associated Press:
Vape Maker Overhauls Packaging To Counter Fakes
A short walk from police headquarters in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, a cluster of bustling shops are openly selling packaging and hardware that can be used to produce counterfeit marijuana vapes that have infected California’s cannabis market. Bootleggers eager to profit off unsuspecting consumers are mimicking popular, legal vape brands, pairing replica packaging churned out in Chinese factories with untested, possibly dangerous cannabis oil produced in the state’s vast underground market. (Blood, 9/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Juul’s Sales Halted In China, Days After Launch
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc.’s sales have been halted in China, days after the startup launched its products in the world’s biggest tobacco market. Juul’s sleek vaporizers went on sale early last week online on both JD.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA 1.09% ’s Tmall, with refill pods in flavors such as mint, Virginia tobacco, mango and cream. But by the end of the week, they had been taken off both ecommerce sites. That left Juul at a loss as to why, according to people familiar with the matter. (Maloney, 9/17)
NPR:
Vaping Illness: Questions And Answers About A Mysterious Outbreak
What seems to be causing the illness? The CDC suspects "chemical exposure," but experts have not yet identified a specific agent as the culprit. There is no definitive link to any brand of device, ingredient, flavor or substance. The outbreak has affected users of both THC- and nicotine-containing products, but it is more prevalent among THC vapers than users who self-report using only nicotine products. Because a large number of the patients reported combining nicotine products with THC or CBD products, some researchers are looking into whether the illness may be a result of mixing substances. (Vaughn, 9/18)
WBUR:
What We Know About Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses In Mass.
Here in Massachusetts, public health officials have received 38 preliminary reports of cases that could fit the CDC criteria for the newly identified vaping illness. The state Department of Public Health says none of these cases is classified as probable or confirmed at this point. But it's likely most will be, says Dr. Jonathan Winickoff, a pediatrician and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital — because there is no lab test for the illness, only a description. (Goldberg, 9/17)
Boston Globe:
Why The Vaping Lung Crisis Is Exploding Now, According To Boston Doctors
The exploding outbreak, linked to 38 possible cases in Massachusetts, has raised questions about why it’s happening now, when vaping has been popular for years. Officials say the disease has affected people who vaped cannabis, nicotine, or both, and who used both legal and black-market products. (Martin, 9/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Smoking Ban Lights Up Sales At Rare Cigarette-Friendly Bars
At first glance, Karma Lounge looks like any dive bar in Manhattan’s East Village. It has a window box packed with plastic daffodils, a black-painted facade and the usual sidewalk board advertising $5 happy hour beers. The one surprise—a tiny door sign bearing a phrase seldom seen these days: “Smoking Permitted." New York City banned smoking in bars and restaurants back in 2003. But a number of establishments that generated at least 10% of their revenue from tobacco sales got an exemption. Today, just eight remain, all in Manhattan, offering a smoky retreat in an otherwise clean-air town. (Kadet, 9/17)
