Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
E-Cigarette Use Among Minors Has Doubled From 2017 Through This Year Despite Efforts To Curb Epidemic
The Associated Press: Teen Vaping Of Nicotine Jumped Again This Year, Survey Finds
A greater share of U.S. teens are vaping nicotine e-cigarettes. About 25% of high school seniors surveyed this year said they vaped nicotine in the previous month, up from about 21% the year before. The University of Michigan study was published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers surveyed more than 42,000 students across the country in grades 8, 10 and 12. (Stobbe, 9/18)
The New York Times: Teenage Vaping Rises Sharply Again This Year
“It’s not good news at all,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which decided to release the new vaping numbers from an annual survey conducted by University of Michigan researchers three months earlier than scheduled. “There has to be a policy that would make it much harder for teenagers to be introduced to vaping.”Vaping prevalence more than doubled in the grades surveyed, eighth, 10th and 12th, from 2017 through this year. One in 4 students in the 12th grade reported that they had vaped within the previous 30 days this year, 1 in 5 in the 10th grade; and 1 in 11 in the 8th grade. (Kaplan, 9/18)
The Washington Post: 1 In 9 High School Seniors Vape Nicotine Near-Daily, New Survey Says Amid E-Cigarette Scare
The data could help to strengthen a growing crackdown on e-cigarettes on the heels of bans on sales of flavored vaping products in New York and Michigan. Last week, the Trump administration said it, too, plans to outlaw sales of the flavored liquids that have come under criticism as enticing to teens. (Knowles, 9/18)
The Hill: Teen Vaping Rates Doubled In 2019, With 25 Percent Of High School Seniors Using E-Cigarettes
Public health experts had expected teen vaping rates to increase in 2019 after seeing last year's shockingly high numbers. Twenty-one percent of 12th graders said the same in 2018. But this year's numbers show policymakers can't wait any longer to act, Volkow said. (Hellmann, 9/18)
CNN: The Rate Of Teen Vaping Has Doubled Within Two Years, New Research Finds
"Current efforts by the vaping industry, government agencies, and schools have thus far proved insufficient to stop the rapid spread of nicotine vaping among adolescents," researchers wrote. "Of particular concern are the accompanying increases in the proportions of youth who are physically addicted to nicotine, an addiction that is very difficult to overcome once established." (Christensen and Stucker, 9/19)
The Hill: Congressional Democrats Threaten To Subpoena Juul In Teen Vaping Investigation
House Democrats are threatening to subpoena Juul for not complying with its investigation into the youth vaping epidemic. Juul, the top e-cigarette company in the U.S., has not produced documents that the House asked for more than three months ago, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy. (Hellmann, 9/18)
The New York Times: TV Networks Take Down Juul And Other E-Cigarette Ads
As health concerns mount over the rise in teenage vaping, CNN, CBS and Viacom are ending advertisements by e-cigarette companies. The parent company of CNN, WarnerMedia, said on Wednesday that it was removing the ads from its entire portfolio of networks, including TNT and TBS, in response to recent health warnings from authorities including the American Lung Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Yaffe-Bellany, 9/18)
USA Today: Viacom, CBS, WarnerMedia To Pull E-Cigarette Ads From TV
A CBS spokesperson confirmed with USA TODAY it will not take any e-cigarette advertising on the network moving forward. In a statement to CNBC, WarnerMedia said it's dropping e-cigarette ads from TNT and TBS. A WarnerMedia spokesperson wasn't immediately available. Last week, fellow WarnerMedia network CNN told The Daily Beast it was also dropping e-cigarette ads. (Molina, 9/18)
The Associated Press: Michigan Bans Flavored E-Cigarettes A Day After New York
Michigan banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes on Wednesday, the latest state to act following hundreds of serious breathing issues in people using vaping devices that prompted a federal investigation. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the ban was effective immediately and gave retailers, including online sellers, two weeks to comply. The ban includes menthol and mint flavored products and expires after 180 days if not extended. (9/18)
The Hill: Michigan Bans Sales Of Flavored E-Cigarettes
“I’m proud that Michigan has been a national leader in protecting our kids from the harmful effects of vaping,” Whitmer said. “For too long, companies have gotten our kids hooked on nicotine by marketing candy-flavored vaping products as safe. That ends today. This bold action will protect our kids and our overall public health.” (Hellmann, 9/18)
The Wall Street Journal: New York’s Smokers’ Quitline Offers Little Help To E-Cigarette Users
Thousands of callers a year to the New York State Smokers’ Quitline receive help to stop smoking through education programs, counseling and nicotine-replacement therapy, including free packages of nicotine gum, patches and lozenges to reduce cravings. A smaller, but growing number of people are calling the quitline to stop using e-cigarettes and vaping devices. Those enrollees, by contrast, only receive coaching and information on tobacco use and nicotine addiction, not free nicotine-replacement therapy. (West, 9/18)
Colorado Sun: Colorado’s Attorney General Will Investigate Whether Juul Marketed To Kids, Misled On Smoking Cessation
Colorado’s attorney general says he will investigate whether Juul marketed e-cigarettes to children and positioned its products as smoking cessation devices without any basis for the claim. Democrat Phil Weiser announced in August, as first reported by Colorado Public Radio, that he was launching a probe of Juul. He said the investigation falls under his office’s consumer protection work. (Paul, 9/18)
Boston Globe: After Illnesses Nationwide, Baker, Walsh Eyeing Stricter Vaping Regulations
State and city leaders said Wednesday that they are weighing stricter regulations on the sale of electronic cigarettes and flavored tobacco products, the latest in a series of efforts that elected officials have pushed amid an explosion of vaping-related illnesses nationwide. Governor Charlie Baker said he is evaluating what emergency options the state has to address the sale of vaping products, and Mayor Martin J. Walsh proposed regulations in Boston to help curb youth vaping by limiting where mint and menthol nicotine products can be purchased. (Stout, 9/18)
Hartford Courant: ‘He Was Told To Stop Vaping, But He Cannot’: Connecticut Man Sues Juul Over E-Cigarette Advertising
Robert McCulloch, who started using a Juul electronic cigarette when he was 14, has filed a federal lawsuit against the company, claiming that deceptive advertising and “false promises” led him to start using the nicotine product without an understanding of the health risks it posed. His lawsuit targets Juul Labs on a few fronts, alleging the e-cigarette device manufacturer violated Connecticut trade law, designed a defective product and committed fraud in its advertising. McCulloch began vaping with a Juul as a freshman in high school under the impression that the e-cigarettes contained little-to-no nicotine. He blames that impression on misleading advertising. (Rand, 9/19)
Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Reports First Vaping-Related Lung Illness
The Mississippi State Department of Health announced it has identified the first case of vaping-related lung illness in the state. According to a press release issued Wednesday, the state "is the latest state to join in a national investigation into severe pulmonary disease linked to the use of e-cigarette products (vaping)." (Fowler, 9/19)
ABC News: Most Vaping Deaths Linked To THC Devices, But Experts Still Looking For Root Cause
While some cases of lung illness occurred among smokers who used only nicotine e-cigarettes, the majority of cases were among smokers who used THC vape products, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other e-cigarette smokers with lung disease used both nicotine and THC devices. "This outbreak does not appear to be associated with traditional legally-sold e-cigarettes, but with illicit and sometimes counterfeit THC vaping cartridges," said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health. (Schumaker, 9/19)
PBS NewsHour: How Teens Across The Country Are Reacting To News Of Vaping Dangers
After reporting that a 40-year-old man died over the weekend due to vaping, the state of California is launching an ad campaign to warn against the dangers of the practice. Federal health officials are also urging people not to vape, but the practice has soared among teenagers in recent years. Our Student Reporting Labs asked teens around the country for their response to the news and warnings. (/18)
California Healthline: Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Hoodwinking Parents And Schools
In yet another twist for worried parents: Meet the vaping hoodie. This high school fashion mainstay — defined by a hood with drawstrings — is now available as a vaping device, ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. Including in the classroom. It marks an addition to the fleet of discreet — some would say camouflaged — vaping devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor the usage of a product that has surged in popularity among high school-aged kids in the past two years, despite laws in most states that allow sales only to people 18 and up. (Barry-Jester, 9/18)
