Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surgeon General: E-Cigarettes Pose Grave Risk To Nation's Youth
The New York Times: Use Of E-Cigarettes By Young People Is Major Concern, Surgeon General Declares
Soaring use of e-cigarettes among young people “is now a major public health concern,” according to a report being published Thursday from the United States Surgeon General. It is the first comprehensive look on the subject from the nation’s highest public-health authority, and it finds that e-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youths, surpassing tobacco cigarettes. (Richtel, 12/8)
The Washington Post: Surgeon General Calls Youth E-Cigarette Smoking ‘A Major Public Health Concern’
“We know enough right now to say that youth and young adults should not be using e-cigarettes or any other tobacco product, for that matter,” Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy said in an interview. “The key bottom line here is that the science tells us the use of nicotine-containing products by youth, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe.” (Dennis, 12/8)
The Wall Street Journal: E-Cigarettes Pose ‘Major’ Risks, Surgeon General’s Report Warns
The report joins a public debate about the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered devices that heat nicotine-laced liquid into a vapor. Some groups, including industry advocates and the Royal College of Physicians in the U.K., have argued that e-cigarettes should be promoted as a means to help adults quit smoking conventional cigarettes. (Maloney, 12/8)
Stat: Surgeon General Takes A Hard Line On E-Cigarettes Among Teens
E-cigarettes have become the most commonly used tobacco products among teens and young adults in the US, the US surgeon general said Thursday, as he called for prevention efforts to “protect our nation’s young people from being harmed by these products.” The safety of e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine and may contain other chemicals, has been a topic of heated debate, with manufacturers insisting they’re safe and public health groups insisting they are dangerous and are often a gateway to tobacco use by youth. (Thielking, 12/8)
The Hill: Surgeon General: Teen E-Cig Use 'Major Public Health Concern'
The Surgeon General is calling electronic cigarette use among youth and young adults a “major public health concern” in a new report to be released Thursday. In what will be the first comprehensive report on how electronic cigarettes are impacting the nation’s youth, the surgeon general found that marketing has played a key role in the skyrocketing rates of middle and high school students choosing to vape. (Wheeler, 12/8)
