WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused a request from tobacco companies to stop California from enforcing a ban on flavored tobacco products that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November. R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies sought the high court’s intervention to keep the ban from taking effect by Dec. 21. There was no additional comment from the justices and no noted dissents. The ban was first passed by the state legislature two years ago but it never took effect after tobacco companies gathered enough signatures to put it on the ballot. But nearly two ..read more

Sarah M. Halvorson-Fried, Alexandria E. Reimold, Sarah D. Mills, Kurt M. Ribisl Many states and localities in the United States are implementing evidence-based tobacco control policies at the retail level, including Tobacco 21 laws, tobacco retailer licensing, restrictions on point-of-sale promotions, and bans on flavored tobacco products. With the passage of new point-of-sale tobacco control policies, North Carolina could reduce youth tobacco use rates. Introduction While cigarette smoking among North Carolina youth has steadily decreased over time, e-cigarette use has increased dramatically ..read more

Vaping device technology and appearance have transformed from cigarette lookalikes to mod devices, to the discreet and colourful designs of JUUL and its many offshoots. Recent innovations in vaping devices include those that resemble miniature toys, including soda bottles, snow cones and popsicles. These products piggy-back on the popularity of toy miniatures, driven by TikTok and other social media sites. By manipulating device design in this way, vape manufacturers can increase marketability of their device, appeal to younger demographics and potentially increase the uptake of vaping. Regula ..read more

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Biehl, Resch Strategies SB 720 lowers taxes on some tobacco products, making them more accessible and affordable to youth Lansing, Mich. – Instead of protecting Michigan youth, Governor Gretchen Whitmer chose to cut a deal with JUUL and signed dangerous legislation that will fuel a  growing youth tobacco epidemic. More than 80 public health and child advocacy organizations that make up the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Alliance strongly opposed Senate Bill 720, but Gov. Whitmer still prioritized the needs of the tobacco industry over the health of Michigan’s yo ..read more

Black history has taught us that Big Tobacco is not an ally By Phillip Gardiner Phillip Gardiner is co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council. This Black History Month, I have a simple message for nonprofit organizations in the United States: If you have accepted money from the tobacco industry, send it back. For hundreds of years, from enslaved people working on tobacco plantations to today’s menthol smokers, Black people have died for the tobacco industry’s profit. Today, the makers of Marlboro, Camel and Newport are using cash donations to polish their im ..read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Thursday that would have banned cities from regulating smoking, vaping and other e-cigarette usage and sales that was put forward after Columbus banned flavored tobacco products. “This measure is not in the public interest, therefore, just a few minutes ago, I vetoed this bill,” DeWine announced Thursday morning at a news conference. The clouds of sour green apple vapor will slowly start to dissipate in Columbus. “As soon as we said the word veto, we cheered,” Amanda Turner, a mom and advocate against tobacco, said. “It was a very exciti ..read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council voted Monday night to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in the city. The ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, includes menthol cigarettes and flavored vaping products. City leaders have recently shown support for banning flavored tobacco products, saying tobacco companies target minorities and children. Mayor Andrew Ginther said last week there has been a calculated campaign with selective marketing and predatory pricing that has been aimed at communities of color and young people. The Columbus City Schools Board of Education also voted on a reso ..read more

E-cigs market to teens using big tobacco tactics CNN — The US Food and Drug Administration is falling down on the job of policing online tobacco retailers, according to a highly critical new report from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. The report criticizes the FDA for its lack of oversight, saying that children’s use of tobacco remains of “high concern” and that online sales are a potentially easy way for kids to buy tobacco products without having to verify their ages. In 2022, nearly 17% high school students – or more than 2.14 ..read more

New Law Will Protect Kids from Candy-Flavored Tobacco, Reduce Smoking Rates, Save Taxpayer Money and Save Lives Sacramento, CA – Shortly after polls closed on Tuesday evening, the YES on Prop 31 campaign declared victory over Big Tobacco in the fight to end the sale of candy-flavored products, including minty-menthol cigarettes. The California legislature overwhelmingly voted to support the end of flavored tobacco with Senate Bill 793 in 2020; and with voters now affirming that decision on the ballot, California is poised to save billions of dollars in future tobacco-related healthcare co ..read more

For those of you familiar with our five-year, frustrated effort to work with the FDA about enforcement against underage nicotine sales, including even a strongly worded letter from the unique pairing of Senators Mitch McConnell and Tim Kaine, it comes as no real surprise that the nicotine industry has deep reach into the agency. The departure of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) second in command for an immediate job with Phillip Morris gives a more public perspective of the actual function of this powerful body, one that has oversight of the production, marketing and sales of all nicoti ..read more