The state of Illinois is hoping to make up for declining cigarette tax revenues by hitting vaping products with a confiscatory wholesale tax on vape products. This is the first effort by the state to tax e-cigarettes but continues Illinois’s recent tradition of regressive taxes that harm marginalized populations. No tax is more regressive than
San Francisco’s embrace of harm reduction does not extend to smokers. In a city which hands out 4.5 million syringes annually, and has pushed to open safe injection sites where illicit drug users can shoot up and safely ride out their buzz under clinical supervision, is unwilling to consider the health consequences of banning e-cigarettes.
FDA Shifts Focus from Flavors to Pod Systems FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb may be on the way out, but it is too early for the vaping industry to breathe a sigh of relief. As Gottlieb made clear in an interview on Fox News, the FDA considers the teen vaping epidemic to be an enormous public
Proposed White House Budget Targets Vaping Industry Although it is an executive branch prerogative to submit a federal budget, Trump’s Budget for a Better America is little more than a political document that outlines his priorities. Don’t take this as a partisan cheap shot because it isn’t. A President’s budget being ignored or heavily modified by Congress is
SAFE Kids Act Diane DeGette (D-Colorado), has introduced legislation that would ban e-cigarette flavors on a national level. The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids or Safe Kids act, would ban “kid-friendly” flavors within a year unless e-juice manufacturers can prove that these flavorings are being developed to help adults stop smoking cigarettes. With
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Resigning FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb is resigning at the end of the month. A vocal critic of the vaping industry, FDA has clashed with the Juul-Altria alliance over the increased rates of underage vaping on his watch. His year-long crusade against the teen vaping epidemic defines his tenure. Gottlieb’s family has continued to reside
Fruit Flavor Fallacy The fruit flavor fallacy has been a favorite zombie vaping myth for years. It is based on the faulty premise that fruit flavors and dessert ejuices exist to hook minors. They have been blamed for fueling what is framed as the teen vaping epidemic. This fallacious argument is undermined by the fact that
Juul-Marlboro Strategic Alliance When Marlboro maker Altria purchased a 35 percent stake in Juul, they hitched their wagon to a company that controls over 70 percent of the ecig market. Juul was expected to benefit from the years of lobbying experience that Altria has accrued defending cigarettes from regulations. This combination has the potential to
The fruit flavor fallacy, the misguided belief that sweet e-juice flavors were created to hook children, is one of the most ridiculous zombie vaping myths. Unfortunately, a spike in underage vaping has been framed as a teen vaping epidemic and the blame has been placed on these flavors. The reality is far different. The majority of
The Time Is Ripe for Prohibition Dr. Richard Creegan (D), a Hawaiian state rep and former emergency room physician, is looking to increase the legal age to purchase cigarettes to 100 years old by 2024. A quick perusal of a map reveals Hawaii has no shared borders or neighboring states where residents can still access
