The Food and Drug Administration is expected to unveil a ban on flavored e-cigarettes next week, President Trump said Friday. But after a month of intense lobbying from advocates on both sides of the issue, the substance of the policy remains shrouded, leaving users, producers, and health officials in a wary state of anticipation.
Trump also said Friday that his administration will support a nationwide law raising the minimum age to purchase any vaping products from 18 to 21, a policy that has already been enacted in several states and cities.
The administration first announced in September that the government will develop new policies to ban flavored e-cigarettes in an effort to curb underage vaping. The ban was originally understood to cover all flavored e-cigarettes sold anywhere, but the administration seems to be softening its stance, leaving open the possibility of flavored sales at specific vape shops and exempting menthol-flavored products.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday that research supports the notion that kids "don't care for menthol, which of course many smokers — I'm not one — say tastes like tobacco." She added that vape shops are also not covered under the Tobacco Control Act and therefore not under the jurisdiction of federal regulators.
A coalition of health organizations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids — condemned the Trump administration Wednesday, urging the government to implement its original plan. The organizations also disputed Conway's regulatory understanding, claiming that there is "no legal or public health justification" for exempting vape shops and that the FDA does have the authority to "regulate nicotine e-cigarette products wherever they are sold."
"There is clear evidence that if any e-cigarette flavors are left on the market, kids will migrate to them," the coalition's statement read. "If the Administration exempts vape shops from its plan, it will be a capitulation to the e-cigarette industry at the expense of America's kids and it will not stem the worsening youth e-cigarette epidemic."
The American Vaping Association, an e-cigarette industry group fighting against a nationwide ban, said this week that a prohibition would create chaos and force businesses to confront the prospect of closing up shop due to "existentially threatening regulation."
<i>A store owner of a vape shop in New York. Photo Credit: Bebeto Matthews/AP/Shutterstock</i>
As of this week, there have been 2,051 cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette or vaping in 49 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The issue of addiction and illness, the CDC says, is especially acute with the five million young people, including 27.5 percent of school students, that use e-cigarettes.
The increasing popularity of e-cigarettes has brought top manufacturers like Juul, Beard Vape, and DirectELiquid under pressure from lawmakers for marketing to kids and minimizing the addictiveness of the products, which proponents argue are a far healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.
On Thursday, Juul, the San Francisco-based e-cigarette giant, announced that it was halting sales of mint-flavored pods.
Citing federal data on the proliferation of e-cigarette use among youth, Juul CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said, "we must reset the vapor category in the U.S. and earn the trust of society by working cooperatively with regulators, Attorneys General, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use." Crosthwaite added that Juul, which said it has refrained from lobbying the Trump administration, will support the forthcoming flavor ban.
"We cannot afford more delays or half measures in addressing this public health crisis," the coalition of health organizations added in their statement. "If the Administration is serious about protecting our kids, it must stand strong and swiftly implement its plan to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes."
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
