Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Juul's Carefully Crafted Formula For Potency, Smoothness Gave It Addictive Power That Executives Sought In Early Days
Reuters: Special Report: Juul Disregarded Early Evidence It Was Hooking Teens
The San Francisco startup that invented the groundbreaking Juul e-cigarette had a central goal during its development: captivating users with the first hit. The company had concluded that consumers had largely rejected earlier e-cigarettes, former employees told Reuters, because the devices either failed to deliver enough nicotine or delivered it with a harsh taste. Developers of the Juul tackled both problems with a strategy they found scouring old tobacco-company research and patents: adding organic acids to nicotine, which allowed for a unique combination of smooth taste and a potent dose. (11/5)
The Hill: Juul Ignored Early Signs It Was Hooking Teens: Report
The early goal of Juul was to develop a better e-cigarette for users, as previous e-cigarette consumers complained that the product did not provide enough nicotine and the flavor was harsh. The company then created flavors that congressional investigators and health advocates have argued targeted young people. Two researchers also told Reuters they cautioned the founders and top company scientists about the potential for youth e-cigarette addiction. (Coleman, 11/5)
The Associated Press: US Teen Vaping Numbers Climb, Fueled By Juul & Mint Flavor
New research shows U.S. teens who use electronic cigarettes prefer those made by Juul Labs, and mint is the favorite flavor for many of them, suggesting a shift after the company stopped selling fruit and dessert flavors in stores. The results are in a pair of studies published Tuesday, including one that details previously released figures indicating that the surge in underage use of e-cigarettes shows no signs of slowing down. (Tanner, 11/5)
The Hill: Studies Show Teen E-Cigarette Users Favor Juul Products, Mint Flavors As Trump Considers Ban
Juul dominates the e-cigarette market in the U.S. with their sleek, flash drive-shaped devices and has been blamed by some for spurring a growing teen vaping “epidemic" with misleading advertising and kid-friendly flavors. “The popularity of e-cigarettes shaped like USB flash drives and other similar devices likely has contributed to youth uptake,” government researchers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in the study. (Hellmann, 11/5)
CNBC: More Than Half Of Teens Who Vape Use Juul, New Studies Show
“You need to have an IQ of 5 to know that when customers don’t find mango they buy mint,” then CEO Kevin Burns allegedly told employees, according to the lawsuit. Mint pods accounted for about two-thirds of Juul’s total pod sales in February 2019, up from about a third the previous September, the lawsuit alleges. The researchers noted that mint may have surged in popularity since Juul removed the other flavors from store shelves. Last month, Juul suspended sales of all of its flavors, except mint, menthol and tobacco. (Setty, 11/5)
Bloomberg: Youth Vapers Favor Mint And Menthol As White House Considers Ban
The findings come as the Trump administration is mulling a ban on flavored vaping products, but e-cigarette advocates are pressing to preserve mint and menthol for adults. The White House is undecided, even though Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said last month that the administration would soon ban all flavors of vaping products except tobacco. Meanwhile, lung injury linked to vaping -- mostly of THC-containing products -- has been linked to 1,888 cases in 49 states. (Baumann, 11/5)
The Wall Street Journal: FDA Expected To Ban All E-Cigarette Flavors Except Tobacco And Menthol
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to ban all e-cigarettes other than those that taste like tobacco and menthol, citing new data on the vaping flavors most popular among teenagers. (Maloney and Abbott, 11/5)
Bloomberg: Vapers Sweat As White House Scraps Meetings, Weighs Flavor Ban
Vaping advocates fear the Trump administration will press forward with tight curbs on e-cigarette flavors, after planned meetings between industry groups and White House officials were scratched. Several groups opposed to a wide-ranging ban said Tuesday that meetings this week with the Office of Management and Budget had been canceled -- a signal the Trump administration was abruptly scrapping consultations and possibly preparing an announcement. (Porter and Wingrove, 11/5)
New Hampshire Union Leader: Cigarettes And Vaping May Be Outlawed For Those Under 21 In Durham
The town council in Durham has been considering an ordinance that would make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, use or possess tobacco and vaping products. Deputy Police Chief Rene Kelley of the Durham Police Department says enforcing the use or possession element of such an ordinance would be difficult. Durham is the home to the University of New Hampshire. This fall, there were 2,731 new freshmen enrolled at the college and a total of 12,103 undergraduates, according to school statistics. (Haas, 11/5)
Boston Globe: Ban On Medical Marijuana Vapes To End Unless Cannabis Commission Votes To Keep It, Judge Rules
Governor Charlie Baker’s ban on medical marijuana vaping products will end next week unless the state Cannabis Control Commission votes to keep it in place, a state judge ruled Tuesday.The ruling does not apply to the ban on nicotine or recreational marijuana vapes. (Martin, 11/5)
State House News Service: Judge Orders Vape Ban Lifted For Medical Marijuana Users
The group's premise is that the 2017 law that created the CCC "transferred authority to regulate all legal marijuana" from DPH to the CCC and that the Legislature was clear in its law that the CCC should be the lead regulatory body. Judge Douglas Wilkins, in an order issued Tuesday, agreed and said the DPH "likely exceeded its authority by banning vaping products used by medical marijuana card holders." (Young, 11/5)
Kaiser Health News: As States With Legal Weed Embrace Vaping Bans, Black-Market Risks Linger
Cannabis shops around Washington state are now required to hang signs warning customers of “severe lung injuries” and “deaths” associated with vaping. Kevin Heiderich, a co-owner of one such shop, Tacoma House of Cannabis, argues the government response to vaping illnesses should focus instead on the black market.“Something has just changed, and no one really knows what it is,” he said. (Stone, 11/6)
