Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Justices Hint At Support Of FDA's Reach Regarding Sweet Vapes Hawked To Kids
AP: Supreme Court Doesn't Seem Convinced FDA Was Unfair In Blocking Flavored Vapes Teen Use Increased
A majority of Supreme Court justices didn’t seem convinced Monday that federal regulators misled companies before refusing to allow them to sell sweet-flavored vaping products following a surge in teen e-cigarette use. The conservative-majority court did raise questions about the Food and Drug Administration crackdown that included denials of more than a million nicotine products formulated to taste like fruit, dessert or candy. Teen vaping use has since dropped to its lowest level in a decade, but the agency could change its approach after the inauguration next month of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to “save” vaping. (Whitehurst, 12/2)
Newsweek: What Donald Trump Has Said About Vaping As SCOTUS Looks At Ban
Trump has given different opinions on vaping through his social media and the legislation that he passed while in office. In September, 2024, Trump said he would "save vaping again" as part of a longer Truth Social post where he stated: "I saved flavored vaping in 2019, and it greatly helped people get off smoking. I raised the age to 21, keeping it away from the 'kids.' Kamala and Joe want everything banned, killing small businesses all over the country. I'll save vaping again!" Although Trump said he had "saved flavoured vaping," in 2019 he expressed support for a total ban on all flavored vapes. He then loosened his position in 2020 to only bar most flavors, including fruit vapes, such as mango Juul pods. (Clark, 12/2)
In related news on e-cigarettes and smoking —
The Conversation: How Big Tobacco Firms Are Using E-Cigarettes To Try To Improve Their Image
The global tobacco industry is still big business, worth around £730 billion a year. This may seem strange for a product known to have caused more than 200 million deaths in the last 30 years. But people continue to smoke. And newer products like e-cigarettes have allowed the industry to diversify its range – and expand its appeal. (Fitzpatrick, 12/2)
WICZ: New York State Health Department Introduces New "This is Quitting" Program to Fight Youth Vaping Epidemic
The fight against the epidemic of e-cigarette and vaping use continues as the New York State Health Department is implementing the "This is Quitting" program. The initiative is a free, anonymous text message service that provides youths with 24/7 peer support if they have cravings or are looking for alternatives. In New York State, nearly one in every five high school students reported vaping nicotine, and in Broome County, about 10% of students vape. People can join "This is Quitting" by texting "Drop the Vape" to 88709. (White, 12/2)
AP: Rival Union Official Says Atlantic City Casino Union Boss Should Resign For Opposing A Smoking Ban
Workers pushing for an end to smoking in Atlantic City casinos say the main employee union has been won over by tobacco companies seeking allies in the fight against smoking restrictions. An official of a union involved in the anti-smoking push on Monday called for the head of the Atlantic City casino workers’ union, Donna DeCaprio, to resign for failing to protect her members from the dangers of secondhand smoke. (Parry, 12/2)
