Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Why Can't Health Officials Figure Out The Mysterious Vaping Illness?
The Wall Street Journal: Vaping-Related Illnesses Remain A Mystery To New York Health Officials
More than 150 people in New York have been sickened by vaping-related illnesses, and state health regulators still don’t understand what specifically is causing the ailments, according to a top state health official who testified before New York state senators on Monday. Brad Hutton, the deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, told members of the Senate’s committees on consumer protection, education and health during a hearing that e-cigarette use among New York’s high-school students was 27% in 2018, the same rate as the cigarette-smoking prevalence for that age group back in 2000. (West, 11/4)
The Associated Press: California Cannabis Group Wants Tighter Vaping-Safety Rules
An alliance of major legal marijuana businesses in California urged the state Monday to adopt tougher safety rules for ingredients and devices used in vaping and get tougher with illegal shops, amid an outbreak of a mysterious illness apparently linked to vaping. The recommendations from the industry group — Legal Cannabis for Consumer Safety — come as health officials continue to investigate a wide range of products and chemicals that could be causing the illness that have sickened over 1,600 people nationwide. (Blood, 11/4)
Fox News: Indiana Teen Says He Was Expelled After Suffering Vaping Illness At School
An Indiana teen claims he was expelled from his high school after he reportedly went to the school nurse when he fell ill after vaping, according to a local report. Kegan Houck, a former freshman at Owen Valley High School in Spencer, told RTV6 Indianapolis that he felt dizzy and nauseated after using his friend’s vaping device in the school restroom on Sept. 30. (Farber, 11/4)
WBAL TV Baltimore: Some Unable To Quit Vaping, Approach To Tackling Addiction In Infancy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring developments regarding vaping and e-cigarette use, but if you are hooked to vaping nicotine or know someone who is hooked, quitting is anything but simple. Hope Hennigan picked up the vaping habit at 16 while she was a student at a Carroll County high school. She admitted she picked up the habit to fit in. (Weiner, 11/4)
KQED: Should San Francisco Ban The Sale Of E-Cigarettes? Your Guide To Proposition C
San Franciscans will head to the polls Tuesday, and voters will decide on Proposition C, which would overturn a ban on the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes in the city. If you feel like you've been getting mixed messages about the proposition, you're not the only one. (Klivans, 11/4)
State House News Service: Mass. Convenience Stores To Close Wednesday In Protest Of Proposed Ban On Menthol Cigarettes
Hundreds of convenience stores plan to close midday on Wednesday as store owners rally to oppose a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and, organizers said, to "demonstrate the critical role [the stores] play providing vital resources to communities." Members of the Boston Convenience Store Owners Association and other independent stores across the state — about 1,000 of them in total, organizers said — on Monday will post notices informing customers of the closures. (Young, 11/4)
