LA Times: First-time tobacco users lured by flavorings, report says

Melissa Healy, Contact Reporter A majority of adolescents who are puffing, vaping or chewing a tobacco product for the first time prefer one with flavor, suggesting that fruity, tangy, spicy or minty flavorings add a powerful allure to the uninitiated. In a nationwide survey of U.S. children ages 12 to 17, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center […]

CNN: Raise smoking age to 21 and regulate e-cigs, pediatricians urge

By Jen Christensen and Joseph Netto (CNN) Most people who smoke started in their teens. While the number of kids trying tobacco for the first time has declined since the 1970s, there are still new smokers every year and kids’ doctors want to do something about it. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) came out with […]

Patient-centered care helps patients overcome mental illness and tobacco use

By Chizimuzo Okoli, Contributing columnist, Lexington Herald-Leader People diagnosed with chronic mental illness will die an average of 10 years earlier than those without mental illness. A number of social and biological factors contribute to early mortality, but 40 percent of people with a mental health condition also practice one of the most preventable health risk […]

The Hill: FDA sends e-cigarette regs to White House for review

By Lydia Wheeler The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent its final rule to regulate additional tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and cigars, for White House review. The rule, which was first proposed more than a year ago, was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory […]

Stateline: Should the Smoking Age Be 21? Some Legislators Say Yes

By Jenni Bergal, Stateline | Pew Charitable Trust While a growing number of states have turned their attention to marijuana legalization, another proposal has been quietly catching fire among some legislators—raising the legal age to buy cigarettes. This summer, Hawaii became the first state to approve increasing the smoking age from 18 to 21 starting […]