“A youth vaping “epidemic” and a mysterious outbreak of lung disease in America has led to curbs on e-cigarette flavours. A backlash against vaping is perpetuating myths about nicotine-based e-cigarette products that are not backed up by scientific research”

“Dear Mr. President: We urge you to preserve access to life-saving alternatives to cigarettes for the millions of adults who rely on electronic cigarettes and vapor products to quit smoking in the United States. Of particular importance is the preservation of flavored products, which are not only the preferred product for adult smokers but essential to the success of vaping as an alternative to cigarette use long-term. Your administration can keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of teenagers without jeopardizing the great accomplishments that have been made in public health through the availability of vapor products for adults. More than 100,000 jobs and the lives of 34 million adult smokers are on the line.”

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CEI Joins Coalition Letter to the White House on Vaping

“New York officials are working on multiple fronts to push through a flavored e-cigarette ban after vaping advocates won a preliminary injunction to stop its enforcement last month. On Thursday, state health officials voted to renew the emergency 90-day ban that acting Supreme Court Justice Catherine Cholakis struck down in January, acknowledging they’re currently unable to enforce it but expressing hope that an appeal of her decision will be successful. The Attorney General’s office filed a notice of its intent to appeal in court filings late last week. The ban the state is pursuing would apply to the sale of all flavors of e-liquids except tobacco and menthol. While the state works to impose a ban using regulatory mechanisms, state lawmakers are also working to enshrine one into state law.”

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NY renews flavored vape ban, appeals decision blocking its enforcement

“It has been eight months since the study appeared and seven months since critics identified the crucial error underlying that logically impossible conclusion. So far, the journal’s public response has consisted of nothing but boilerplate promises of scientific integrity. As University of Louisville tobacco researcher Brad Rodu pointed out, the analysis that Bhatta and Glantz ran included former smokers who had heart attacks before they started vaping. Once those subjects were excluded, Rodu and University of Louisville economist Nantaporn Plurphanswat found, the association described by Bhatta and Glantz disappeared. “The main findings from the Bhatta-Glantz study are false and invalid,” Rodu and Plurphanswat wrote in a July 11 letter to JAHA. “Their analysis was an indefensible breach of any reasonable standard for research on association or causation.”

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8 Months Later, This Journal Still Hasn’t Corrected Its Study Implying That E-Cigarettes Magically Cause Heart Attacks Before People Use Them

“Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, MP for Slough, is concerned about smoking rates in pregnant women. David Jones, who represents Clwyd West, asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care about WHO’s forthcoming Conference of the Parties (COP) and how this might impact British policy on vaping. Smoking during pregnancy is the subject of a couple of current studies and a pilot program related to vaping. Forward thinking researchers believe switching to ecigs could be beneficial for pregnant women, foetuses and aid ongoing smoking cessation postpartum (the period after the baby has been delivered). Research last year showed that mothers switching to vaping delivered healthy babies at the same rate as non-smokers.”

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UK Parliament

“Tobacco, vaping and e-cigarettes are now banned in all forms at playgrounds at state parks. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the ban as part of the state Department of Health’s “Young Lungs at Play” program. The same news release says the ban will keep secondhand smoke from 135 playgrounds in Pennsylvania’s 121 state parks. Signs will be posted by Memorial Day.”

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Smoking, Vaping Banned From Pennsylvania State Park Playgrounds

“State legislatures around the country are poised to do what some politicians do best: Overreact. Many states are also considering disproportionate taxes on e-cigarettes, a move that has already backfired in Minnesota, where quitters are become smokers again. Boston University public health professor Dr. Michael Siegel has chronicled the many harms caused by improperly blaming nicotine e-cigarettes such as Juul for a disease outbreak caused by an entirely different class of product. As a result, smokers now have another convenient (and incorrect) excuse not to quit smoking. The CDC and other opponents of tobacco harm reduction manufactured and promoted the misperception that e-cigarettes are more dangerous than smoking. Banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes to adults to prevent youth vaping would undermine real public health gains. Instead of recklessly taxing, if not outright banning all flavored e-cigarettes, state lawmakers should take responsible steps to protect public health by strictly enforcing the ban of sales to those under 21.”

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A Vision for Tobacco Policy; 2020 Edition

“It was this very black market that caused the outbreak of lung injuries we saw over the summer. Most of those injured lived in states without legal marijuana or were not of age to legally purchase it so they relied on the black market which has zero quality control and no incentive to verify customers’ age. Instead of recognizing this outbreak as a failure of prohibition, activists used the outbreak and public confusion around it, to compel state legislatures to enact bans on nicotine e-cigarettes; products that had nothing to do with it. Restrictions on nicotine e-cigarettes that ban certain devices, nicotine strengths, or flavors will do nothing to prevent another outbreak. First, there is no youth vaping epidemic. Despite the headlines, the vast majority of youth who report using e-cigarettes are not using them habitually. A flavor ban will also fail to achieve this goal because flavors are not the reason youth vape. According to the CDC, the number one reason youth say they vape is curiosity. Though we may not know the exact amount of risk e-cigarettes pose in the long-term, we know that this is far lower than with combustible tobacco. We also know that e-cigarettes are an effective smoking cessation option, with trials showing they are at least twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapy. Banning e-cigarette flavors won’t stop youth vaping, but will put at risk the more than 250,000 Maryland adults who rely-on e-cigarettes to stay smoke free.”

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Michelle Minton Testimony on Flavored Tobacco Products

“The state of Washington’s temporary ban on flavored vapes and THC vaping products has lapsed. As of Friday, these goods can be offered for sale again and purchased by users. Last October, Washington’s Board of Health declared a 120-day emergency ban on these products. In November, state legislators drafted a bill that would have made the ban permanent. Ultimately, Washington lawmakers modified the bill to bar only products containing vitamin E acetate, effectively sanctioning the sale and purchase of flavored and THC vaping goods lacking it. Nevertheless, the bill still carries restrictions, such as a requirement that customers be at least 21 years of age to buy these products. Additionally, those purchasing flavored vapes will have to pay a 37% excise tax on them. With the new bill still moving through the legislative process, the state allowed the temporary ban to expire.”

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Washington State’s Ban on Flavored and THC Vapes Expires

“By the skin of its teeth, a proposal from Eagle High School seniors to ban smoking and vaping in cars and in the presence of minors was  introduced as a bill in the House Health and Welfare Committee. The legislation survived a vote that would have send it back to the authors for a clearer definition of the word “vaping.” The bill could return for a full hearing in the coming weeks. With a rewrite, and help from Rep. Gayann DeMourdant, R-Eagle, the seniors decided to pick up fighting for the legislation. Rep. Bryan Zollinger, R-Idaho Falls, while applauding the student’s work, raised concerns about a vague definition of “vaping” in the proposal that did not specify tobacco products. He supported a motion to send the proposal back to the sponsors for clarification before it would be introduced. In a tie vote, the committee rejected sending the proposal back to the high school seniors.”

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EAGLE STUDENTS USE SENIOR PROJECTS AS A CHANCE TO CHANGE THE LAW