Just days after receiving final legislative approval and being signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, California’s flavored tobacco ban faces yet another challenge by the tobacco industry. SB 793 by Senator Jerry Hill bans the sale of flavored tobacco products statewide, including mint and menthol products. The measure faced significant opposition from the tobacco…
Read More »On Monday, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued ten warning letters to manufacturers and retailers who sell, manufacture, and/or import unauthorized electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products targeted to youth or likely to promote use by youth. The warning letters targeted unauthorized products, including backpacks and sweatshirts designed with stealth pockets to hold…
Read More »The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) published a report this week exploring the taxation of electronic cigarettes as proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom’s FY 2020-21 Budget. The report details the current taxes levied on electronic cigarette products, analyzes the Governor’s proposal, and poses several areas for consideration by the Legislature as its budget subcommittees begin their…
Read More »The American Lung Association recently published its 18th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, evaluating states and the federal government on proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies. According to the American Lung Association, the report serves as a blueprint for what state and federal leaders need to do to eliminate death and disease caused by…
Read More »U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams recently issued a report on smoking cessation, the 34th tobacco-related Surgeon General report published since 1964. In 1990, the Surgeon General issued the report, The Health Benefits of Smoking Cessation. The latest report summarizes the latest evidence on the health benefits of smoking cessation, including recent scientific evidence on the…
Read More »Two notable actions related to electronic cigarettes occurred this week, both on the state and federal levels. We detail these actions below: AG Becerra Alleges JUUL Labs Unlawfully Targeted Minors On Monday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the State of California has filed a lawsuit in the Alameda County Superior Court against JUUL Labs,…
Read More »On Wednesday, the Assembly Health, Governmental Organization, Business and Professions Committees convened a joint informational hearing titled, “Vaping Tobacco and Cannabis Products: Health Effects and Deficiencies in Regulation and Current Law.” The nearly four-hour hearing was convened amid increasing youth and young adult use of vaping products, ongoing reports of vaping-related illnesses and injuries nationwide,…
Read More »This week, the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) released a sign-on opportunity for local health departments and officials to support the recently announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plan to remove non-tobacco flavored electronic cigarettes, including mint and menthol, from the market in an attempt to curb utilization of the…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order aimed at confronting the growing use of electronic cigarette utilization, particularly among youth and young adults. Flanked by California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) Secretary Mark Ghaly and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) Director Nicolas Maduros, Governor Newsom announced his intent to…
Read More »On Wednesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a statewide public health emergency, ordering the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products. The ban, initiated by the Michigan Chief Medical Executive’s finding that youth vaping constitutes a public health emergency, makes Michigan the…
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