Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
People With Vaping-Related Disease Far More Likely To Have Gotten Products From Friends, Family Than Legally
A large majority of the people suffering from a vaping-related lung illness said they used products containing THC, and most of them obtained the products through 鈥渋nformal鈥 sources, according to new federal data released Tuesday. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obtaining products from only informal sources was substantially more common for THC products than for just nicotine-containing products while obtaining products only from commercial sources was much more common for nicotine than for THC-containing products. (Weixel, 1/14)
One-sixth of patients who developed lung injuries after vaping marijuana obtained the product from legal dispensaries, a new federal report says, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said reinforced its聽current recommendations聽to not use THC-containing e-cigarette, or vaping, products. (Bacon and O'Donnell, 1/14)
Northmont High School officials have installed sensors that can detect the use of e-cigarettes, or vaping, in the school, joining a growing list of Ohio districts trying to limit student use of the products. In addition to Northmont鈥檚 effort, Franklin-Monroe schools in Darke County, Riverside schools near Bellefontaine and multiple districts in Columbus and Akron are using the small sensors, which resemble a smoke detector. (Kelley, 1/15)
Pennsylvania State Police announced Tuesday they are investigating a video posted to social media of a 2-year-old appearing to vape. The video, circulated through Snapchat, depicts the child inhaling from a vaping device before coughing and crying, with two teen girls heard laughing. State police said the two were a 17-year-old who was babysitting the toddler and an 18-year-old who was also present. (Budryk, 1/14)
Meanwhile, in other news 鈥
A House panel on Wednesday is set to examine some of the barriers to marijuana research amid a growing disconnect between federal and state policies. 鈥淭here is a chasm between the federal laws and what over 30 states are doing,鈥 Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) told The Hill in an interview Tuesday. (Weixel, 1/14)