Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Deeply Troubled': Democrats Express Dismay Over Trump's Hesitation On Banning Flavored E-Cigs
Democratic senators are calling on President Trump not to abandon his promise to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market. In a letter sent Tuesday, 25 Democrats led by Senate Health Committee ranking member Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), said they had 鈥渟ignificant concerns鈥 because it has been more than a month since administration officials first announced their intention to remove all non-tobacco flavors of e-cigarettes from the market.聽聽(Weixel, 10/29)
Mayo Clinic doctors are casting doubt on one possible cause of vaping-associated lung injuries: inhaling lipids, or fats. Doctors examined the lung biopsies of 17 patients who had confirmed or probable cases of vaping injuries and published the results in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine. (Aboraya, 10/29)
The Georgia Department of Public Health announced Tuesday the state鈥檚 third death from a vaping-linked respiratory illness, even as the number of cases shows signs of leveling off. Health authorities have suggested Americans refrain from e-cigarettes until more is known about the mystery illness. (Oliviero, 10/29)
As states聽respond to an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses around the country, one statewide official in Iowa is cautioning against over-regulating聽the use of e-cigarette products. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller wrote to federal officials this month to say that banning commercial vaping products for adults would harm public health. His warning came as聽federal public officials were still investigating the cause of the sometimes-fatal illnesses. (Rodriguez, 10/29)
Kaiser Health News: 鈥業nvincible鈥 Teen Vapers Face Fears, Ask For Help
It all started at the mall when a friend offered her a puff from a Juul e-cigarette. 鈥淚t was kind of peer pressure,鈥 said Beth, a Denver-area 15-year-old who started vaping in middle school. 鈥淭hen I started inhaling it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 suddenly was, like, wow, I really think that I need this 鈥 even though I don鈥檛.鈥 (Daley, 10/30)