Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Investigating Cluster Of Lung Disease Cases That May Be Linked To Vaping
Reuters: CDC Probes Lung Illnesses Linked To E-Cigarette Use
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating a "cluster" of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use after such cases were reported in 14 states. The CDC said there was no evidence that an infectious disease was behind the illnesses and that more information was needed to determine whether they were in fact caused by e-cigarette use. (8/18)
The Washington Post: Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Under Investigation In 14 States
Officials are warning clinicians and the public to be on alert for what they describe as a severe and potentially dangerous lung injury. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or chest pain before hospitalization. Health officials said patients have also reported fever, cough, vomiting and diarrhea. (Sun and Bever, 8/16)
CNN: Vaping Could Be Linked To Lung Disease In More Than 120 Cases In 15 States
States with the most cases include Wisconsin, with 15 confirmed cases and 15 more under investigation. Illinois has 10 confirmed cases, while 12 more are under investigation. California is looking into 19 such cases. The New York State Department of Health said Friday it was "actively investigating" 11 cases. Indiana and New Jersey both reported nine cases, of which Indiana has confirmed six. Health officials in Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah also said they were aware of confirmed or potential cases. A total of 42 states and Washington, DC, provided CNN with a response. (Nedelman, 8/17)
Bloomberg: CDC Looking Into Pulmonary Illness Linked To E-Cigarettes
Tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International Inc. and Altria Group Inc. are seeking to offer alternatives to traditional cigarettes. Philip Morris’ tobacco-heating IQOS device was approved for sale in the U.S. in April while Altria has taken a large stake in popular vaping start-up Juul Labs Inc. (Tong, 8/17)
NPR: Vaping Is Linked To Dozens Of Hospitalizations, Cases Of Lung Damage In Midwest
When Dylan Nelson was admitted to the ICU in July with difficulty breathing, his mother, Kim Barnes. figured it was his asthma acting up. But when she got to the hospital in Burlington, Wis., he couldn't speak. He was intubated. His blood oxygen level was only 10%. He was put into a medically induced coma. Barnes told the nurse she worried she wouldn't see her 26-year-old son again. The nurse reassured her. (Sable-Smith, 8/16)
In other news —
Stateline: Vaping Craze Prompts New State Taxes
Like the jump in vaping’s popularity, state taxes and regulations have ratcheted up recently. Of the 17 states and the District of Columbia that have specific taxes on vaping products, half implemented them in 2019, according to the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, which researches the links between public policy and health. The District of Columbia and 17 states (not all of the states are the ones that have raised taxes) have the 21-year-old vaping age limit. (Povich, 8/19)
NPR: Netflix Reduces Onscreen Smoking Of Tobacco But Not Cannabis
When is it wrong to show cigarette smoking on television, but OK to depict people smoking cannabis products, particularly in programming popular among young teenagers? Netflix recently announced it would curb depictions of cigarette smoking in original programming intended for general audiences, after a Truth Initiative study showed its monster summer hit, Stranger Things, featured more tobacco use than any other program on streaming, broadcast or cable. There's tobacco in every single episode. (Ulaby, 8/17)
