Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
15-Year-Old In Texas Becomes Youngest Person To Die In Outbreak Of Vaping-Related Lung Disease
The New York Times: Vaping Kills A 15-Year-Old In Texas
Cases of lung illness and deaths from vaping have tapered off since peaking in September, health officials said on Thursday, but the outbreak also reached a grim new milestone: The youngest death, of a 15-year-old, was reported by Dallas County Health and Human Services. The teenager had “a chronic underlying medical condition,” Texas officials said in a statement on Dec. 31, but they did not identify the condition, the patient’s gender or what products the patient had been vaping. (Grady, 1/9)
CNN: Texas 15-Year-Old's Death Is Youngest Vaping Lung Injury Fatality In The United States
Dallas County health officials reported on New Year's Eve that a Dallas County teenager with a "chronic underlying medical condition" had become the county's first death linked to the lung injury outbreak. On Thursday, Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed to CNN that the person was 15. (Nedelman, 1/9)
The New York Times: Vaping Illness Tracker: 2,602 Cases And 57 Deaths
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state agencies have reported 2,602 lung injury cases that required hospitalization and 57 deaths linked to vaping. (Corum, 1/9)
NPR: San Diego Schools Sue Juul Labs Over Youth Vaping Epidemic
San Diego's public school schools have filed suit against Juul Labs, Inc., the largest U.S. producer of e-cigarettes, accusing the company of deliberately marketing its vaping products to young people, effectively rolling back years of progress made by anti-smoking campaigns. (Neuman, 1/9)
WCNC: Viral Instagram Post Shows The Impacts Of Vaping
CT scan images posted online by a Maryland teenager are getting a ton of traction after it shares her apparent scary experience with vaping. Vaping is an epidemic that's been gripping the nation, thousands of people have gotten sick and nearly 40 have died, all from vaping. Doctors are trying to find ways to treat this brand-new illness. (Leshner, 1/9)
NPR: U-Haul's Nicotine-Free Hiring Rule Reflects A Trend That Troubles Workers' Advocates
When U-Haul recently announced it will no longer hire people who use nicotine in any form in the 21 states where such hiring policies are legal, the Phoenix-based moving company joined a cadre of companies with nicotine-free hiring policies. U-Haul's announcement is receiving outsize attention because nicotine-free hiring policies are more common at high-profile hospitals such as Cleveland Clinic that are especially protective of their healthy image. (Farmer, 1/9)
Politico Pro: Menthol Ban Gains Momentum Among Black Lawmakers
A ban on menthol tobacco is gaining steam in Congress, overcoming years of concern that barring the products could have harmful unintended consequences for African American communities. House leaders say they are likely to bring up the ban later this year as part of a push for further tobacco regulation after the president disappointed many Democrats and public health experts by rolling out a ban that was limited to certain flavored vapes. (Owermohle, 1/9)
