Industry Urges SCOTUS to Consider FDA Graphic Cigarette Warnings

The tobacco industry, to no surprise, is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the FDA’s actions on graphic warnings on cigarette packs. These warnings are in place in many countries around the world, but the industry is fighting with all its might to prevent it from coming to pass in America for one simple reason: they work in reducing smoking. This link contains more information about the procedural history of the case.

ND Monitor: Minot lawmaker remembered as ‘even keeled,’ great friend across 18 years of public service

North Dakota Rep. Randy Schobinger died Aug. 13, 2024, at the age of 54. Schobinger represented the Minot area in the state Senate from 1995 to 2006 and in the House from 2017 to 2024. We are saddened to hear of representative Schobinger’s loss. We extend our condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. To read more about his life and service to the state, click here.

SAMHSA finds increase in nicotine vaping, treatment uptake

Almost 23 percent of adults reported having any mental disorder last year, according to a report released from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A companion report also showed 5.9 million people started vaping nicotine last year, higher than the other substances measured. In 2023, 9.4 percent of the people 12 and older vaped nicotine compared to 8.3 percent of that population in 2022. To read the full story, click here.

If you or a loved one in North Dakota is looking to quit nicotine, call your doctor, local public health unit, NDQuits, or text VAPEFREEND to 88709. There’s help available!

State and Federal Authorities Step Up Efforts to Addressing Unauthorized E-Cigarettes

On June 10, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the creation of a federal task force to address the sale of illicit e-cigarettes. The task force will enlist the help of multiple law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to tackle the distribution and sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes. This move is one of many at the state and federal levels. To read more about this, read this article from our partners at Truth Initiative.

Olympics and the History of Tobacco Marketing

CNN: Nearly half of adult cancer deaths in the US could be prevented by making lifestyle changes, study finds

A new American Cancer Society study shows smoking remains the leading risk factor for preventable cancer, causing about 1 in 5 cancer cases and nearly 1 in 3 cancer deaths in the U.S.
The evidence is clear that we can’t win the fight against cancer without winning the fight against tobacco. It’s critical that we move forward with effective strategies to reduce smoking. To read the full article, click here.

Bloomberg: Zyn Imitators Rush in as Online Sales Halt Worsens US Shortage

When the DC Attorney General subpoenaed Zyn’s parent company, Philip Morris, they halted online sales. That’s led to a vacuum in the market, being filled by others trying to capitalize on nicotine addiction. To read the full article, click here.

Truth Initiative: Zyn rewards program follows Big Tobacco’s marketing playbook

You can’t call Zyn a treatment option and then offer rewards like gift cards and tablets. The companies that make these products are in it for profit at your expense. More from our partners at Truth Initiative.

Science for sale: Philip Morris’s web of payments to fund tobacco research

Tobacco companies will do whatever it takes to tip the scales in their favor. This report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism shows how the tobacco industry uses its influence to try and influence research. This isn’t the first time the industry has used this sort of tactic, like when JUUL purchased an entire issue of a medical journal to share its “data.”

FDA and CBP Seize More Than $1M Worth of Unauthorized E-Cigarettes

FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are announcing the seizure of 53,700 unauthorized e-cigarette products valued at more than $1.08 million. While FDA and CBP worked together to seize the shipment at the Chicago port of entry, the unauthorized products were intended for a wholesaler based in Mississippi. To read the full release, click here.