The underage vaping epidemic is being fueled by a new e-cigarette brand called Puff Bar that targets young people with products that come in fruity flavors—such as Watermelon and Lemon Ice—favored by this age group. A report in the Wall Street Journal says that Puff Bar has replaced Juul as the top-selling disposable brand among young people, with sales of more than $126 million last year. So far, Puff Bar has been able to evade FDA scrutiny by reformulating its products with synthetic nicotine, which is not under the agency’s purview. The company was founded by two 27-year-old entrepreneurs, who say they are doing everything they can to stop underage use, although a recent survey found that more than 25 percent of high-school vapers use Puff Bar. The FDA must find a way to regulate products like Puff Bar that are contributing to the teen vaping crisis.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has signed a bill that bars opponents of needle exchange programs from using environmental laws to try to stop such services. For years, groups that want to shut down exchange sites have claimed that such programs promote drug use and homelessness. But recently they have deployed a new tactic, saying that they are a source of needle waste, which is an environmental hazard, and have closed down programs in several counties. Under the new law, lawsuits to stop needle exchange are still allowed under other grounds. The bill comes at a time when drug overdose deaths are soaring in the state, and around the country, and harm reduction programs such as needle exchanges are seen as an important component of efforts to save lives.
And finally, the marijuana legalization model used most frequently by states can lead to rampant commercialization and Big Tobacco dominating local markets, according to an article in Vox that looks at alternative ways to legalize weed. Currently, for-profit companies are growing, cultivating, and selling marijuana, expanding across state and national lines, and doing more advertising, creating a marijuana market that will look a lot like the market for alcohol. There are alternatives, the article suggests, such as allowing the government to run the supply chain and becoming a weed dealer, which means it would have greater say over public health and safety and implementing regulations to mitigate the real risk of addiction and overuse.