Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Juul To Voluntarily Stop Selling Mint-Flavored Pods Ahead Of Anticipated Ban From Trump Administration
The New York Times: Juul Ends E-Cigarette Sales Of Mint-Flavored Pods
Juul Labs, the nation’s largest seller of e-cigarettes, said on Thursday that it would stop selling mint-flavored pods, which have become especially popular among teenagers. The move precedes an anticipated federal flavor ban that is to be announced soon, one that the Food and Drug Administration initially had said would include mint as well as menthol. In recent weeks, intense lobbying by the vaping and tobacco industries against a menthol ban has heightened speculation that menthol would be exempt from any prohibitions against flavors. (Kaplan, 11/7)
The Associated Press: Juul Halts US Sales Of Popular Mint-Flavored E-Cigarettes
The voluntary step comes days after new government research showed that Juul is the top brand among high schoolers who use e-cigarettes and that many prefer mint. "These results are unacceptable," said the company's CEO K.C. Crosthwaite, adding in a statement that the company must "earn the trust of society." Underage vaping has reached what health officials call epidemic levels. In the latest government survey, 1 in 4 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month, despite federal law banning sales to those under 18. (Perrone, 11/7)
The Washington Post: Sales Of Top-Selling Mint Vape Halted By Juul
Mint accounts for about 70 percent of Juul’s sales in the United States, compared with 20 percent for tobacco-flavored vapes and 10 percent for menthol, according to sales figures. Juul stopped selling its popular mango, fruit, creme and cucumber liquid-nicotine pods in brick-and-mortar stores last year and online in September. In a statement Thursday, Juul said it made the decision to halt mint sales “in light of” new data released this week showing mint’s popularity among underage vapers. The studies indicated that teens prefer Juul products and that mint is their favorite flavor. (McGinley, 11/7)
The Wall Street Journal: Juul To Stop Selling Mint E-Cigarettes
Juul’s move is voluntary, but it comes as the Food and Drug Administration is preparing to release details on a plan to remove most e-cigarette flavors from the market, including mint. Several major retailers, including Walmart Inc. and Walgreens, have already said they will discontinue all e-cigarette sales. (Maloney and Abbott, 11/7)
CNN: Juul Stops Sales Of Mint-Flavored Pods
Matthew L. Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, responded to Juul's announcement in a statement, saying the move "follows the tobacco industry playbook of making changes only when it has absolutely no choice, and then to make a change that will have far less impact than it appears," adding, "with mint removed, kids will almost certainly shift to Juul's menthol pods, and other e-cigarette companies will continue to sell mint as long as the federal government allows." (Christensen, 11/7)
CNBC: Juul Halts Sales Of Its Popular Mint Flavor
Juul will now sell just three flavors in the U.S.: menthol, Virginia tobacco and classic tobacco. The company last month suspended sales of its other sweet flavors — mango, creme, fruit and cucumber — nearly a year after pulling them from convenience stores, vape shops and other retailers amid pressure from the Food and Drug Administration. (LaVito, 11/7)
The Hill: Juul To Stop Selling Mint Flavor
Juul has dominated the e-cigarette market with their sleek, flash drive-shaped devices, and the popularity of their fruity flavors has led public health experts and federal health officials to blame the company for the current teen vaping "epidemic." (Weixel, 11/07)
The Associated Press: More Than 2,000 In US Diagnosed In Vaping Illness Outbreak
New government figures show more than 2,000 people have been diagnosed with vaping illnesses in the still-unsolved U.S. outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said 2,051 confirmed and probable cases have been reported. Illnesses have occurred in every state but Alaska. Forty people in 24 states have died. (Stobbe, 11/7)
Reuters: U.S. Vaping-Related Deaths Climb To 39, Illnesses To 2,051
Investigators have not linked the cases to any specific product or compound, but have pointed to vaping oils containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, as being especially risky. (11/7)
CNBC: CDC Says Vaping Lung Illness Cases Now Top 2,000
Two top health officials will testify before Congress on the response to the outbreak next week. CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat and the director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, Mitch Zeller, will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday. (LaVito, 11/7)
The Hill: Vaping Illness Tops 2,000 Patients As Spread Slows
The CDC said people should consider refraining from using any vaping products, since the specific compound or ingredient causing lung injury are not yet known. The agency has also recommended that the best way to avoid potentially harmful effects is to not use THC, including through e-cigarette products. (Weixel, 11/07)
And in other news —
Wyoming Public Radio: Pinedale Bans The Sale Of Flavored Vaping Products
The Pinedale Town Council has approve an ordinance that bans the sale of flavored vaping products within town limits. The council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance, despite some members' concerns about the rights of businesses and consumers. (Maher, 11/7)
California Healthline: Flavor Bans Multiply, But Menthol Continues To Divide
As states and communities rush to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products linked to vaping, Carol McGruder races from town to town, urging officials to include what she calls “the mother lode of all flavors”: menthol. McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, has tried for years to warn lawmakers that menthol attracts new smokers, especially African Americans. Now that more officials are willing to listen, she wants them to prohibit menthol cigarettes and cigarillos, not just e-cigarette flavors, to reduce smoking among blacks. (Ibarra, 11/7)
Reuters: UPS Liable For Shipping Contraband Cigarettes In New York, Damages Reduced: Court
A federal appeals court found United Parcel Service Inc liable to New York state and New York City for shipping hundreds of thousands of cartons of untaxed cigarettes, but reduced its payout for damages and unpaid taxes to about $97.6 million from $247 million. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan agreed with a trial judge that UPS violated a federal anti-cigarette trafficking law and New York's public health law by shipping the contraband cigarettes, which often came from Indian reservations. (11/7)
Boston Globe: Cannabis Board Declines To Uphold Baker’s Medical Marijuana Vape Ban, But Products May Stay Off Shelves
The state Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday declined to uphold Governor Charlie Baker’s ban on sales of medical marijuana vaping products, but a top official said the products could remain off store shelves. A judge ruled earlier this week that the medical marijuana vape ban would end at noon Tuesday unless the commission voted to keep it. (Martin, 11/7)
