Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers Slam Trump's Decision To Back Off Flavor Ban: 'Our Children Should Not Be Used As Guinea Pigs'
BuzzFeed News: Trump Is Giving In To The Vaping Industry On A Flavor Ban, Lawmakers Say
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers called on President Donald Trump to go ahead with a ban on flavored e-cigarettes on Monday, following the president’s decision to hold off on a sweeping ban he first announced in September. “Our children should not be used as guinea pigs by the tobacco industry,” said the letter from the Senate and House chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic. The letter, signed by 28 senators and representatives, calls for a nationwide ban on all flavored e-cigarettes, including the mint and menthol flavors that the vaping industry has pushed to keep on the market. (Vergano, 12/2)
Reuters: Could Life Insurance Go Up In Smoke For Some Vapers?
Global reinsurers are stepping up their warnings to life insurer clients about the potential risks of vaping, putting pressure on underwriters to charge certain vapers higher rates than smokers, or even exclude them altogether. U.S. authorities said last month that there had been 47 deaths this year from a lung illness tied to vaping. The health concerns about vaping have grown despite evidence showing e-cigarettes help smokers to quit, and has led to bans in some countries including India and Brazil. (Cohn, Barlyn and Hussain, 12/3)
The Associated Press: Over 500K Pot Vapes Seized In 2 Years As Busts Rise In US
As health officials scrutinize marijuana vaping, it’s increasingly on law enforcement’s radar, too. From New York City to Nebraska farm country to California, authorities have seized at least 510,000 marijuana vape cartridges and arrested more than 120 people in the past two years, according to an Associated Press tally derived from interviews, court records, news accounts and official releases. (Peltz, 12/3)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Raise Taxes To Combat Vaping Epidemic? Probably Not In Missouri
Unlike leaders in other states who are trying to tackle an epidemic of youth vaping by raising taxes on electronic cigarettes, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he’s not looking at that as an option. “I don’t know if pricing it out of someone’s reach is always the right answer,” Parson said at a recent news conference called to outline an educational campaign designed to crack down on underage use of vaping products. Missouri has not raised its cigarette tax since 1993 and at 17 cents per pack, it is the lowest in the nation. (Erickson, 12/2)
