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US adult cigarette smoking rate hits new all-time low
By MIKE STOBBE today
FILE - Cigarette butts fill a smoking receptacle outside a federal building in Washington, Thursday, April 15, 2021.
According to government survey data released Thursday, April 27, 2023, U.S. adults are smoking less. Cigarette smoking dropped to another new all-time low in 2022, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers. Meanwhile, e-cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday.
Meanwhile, electronic cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults... https://apnews.com/hub/vaping
The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are based on survey responses from more than 27,000 adults. .. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/earlyrelease202304.pdf
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death. ..https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm
More coverage
– Juul Labs agrees to pay $462 million settlement to 6 states
https://apnews.com/article/juul-tobacco-million-settlement-youth-vaping-318854025e4ee05d8b18296cb7dae772?utm_source=apnews&utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule
– Flavored cannabis marketing is criticized for targeting kids
https://apnews.com/article/health-new-york-city-marijuana-business-4245bb958368e1863d7ac9b639886790?utm_source=apnews&utm_medium=relatedcontentmodule
In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, due to cigarette taxes, tobacco product price hikes, smoking bans and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public.
Last year, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to about 11%, down from about 12.5% in 2020 and 2021. The survey findings
E-cigarette use rose to nearly 6% last year, from about 4.5% the year before, according to survey data.
The rise in e-cigarette use concerns Dr. Jonathan Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. Nicotine addiction has its own health implications, including risk of high blood pressure and a narrowing of the arteries, according to the American Heart Association.
“I think that smoking will continue to ebb downwards, but whether the prevalence of nicotine addiction will drop, given the rise of electronic products, is not clear,” said Samet, who has been a contributing author to U.S. Surgeon General reports on smoking and health for almost four decades.
Smoking and vaping rates are almost reversed for teens. Only about 2% of high school students were smoking traditional cigarettes last year, but about 14% were using e-cigarettes, according to other CDC data.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content
https://apnews.com/article/how-many-people-smoke-us-64987fe2b7bf764c64d4594e5b02e6ea
Juul will pay nearly $440 million to settle states' investigation into teen vaping
September 6, 20222:01 PM ET
The Associated Press
Packaging for an electronic cigarette and menthol pods from Juul Labs is displayed on Feb. 25, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. In a deal announced Tuesday, Juul will pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products.
Brynn Anderson/AP
HARTFORD, Conn. — Electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs will pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its high-nicotine vaping products, which have long been blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal Tuesday on behalf of the states plus Puerto Rico, which joined together in 2020 to probe Juul's early promotions and claims about the safety and benefits of its technology as a smoking alternative.
The settlement resolves one of the biggest legal threats facing the beleaguered company, which still faces nine separate lawsuits from other states.
Additionally, Juul faces hundreds of personal suits brought on behalf of teenagers and others who say they became addicted to the company's vaping products.
The state investigation found that Juul marketed its e-cigarettes to underage teens with launch parties, product giveaways and ads and social media posts using youthful models, according to a statement.
"Through this settlement, we have secured hundreds of millions of dollars to help reduce nicotine use and forced Juul to accept a series of strict injunctive terms to end youth marketing and crack down on underage sales," Tong said in a press release.
The $438.5 million will be paid out over a period of six to 10 years. Tong said Connecticut's payment of at least $16 million will go toward vaping prevention and education efforts. Juul previously settled lawsuits in Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina and Washington.
Juul has already halted some promotions of its products
Most of the limits imposed by Tuesday's settlement won't affect Juul's practices, which halted use of parties, giveaways and other promotions after coming under scrutiny several several years ago.
Teen use of e-cigarettes skyrocketed after Juul's launch in 2015, leading the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to declare an "epidemic" of underage vaping among teenagers. Health experts said the unprecedented increase risked hooking a generation of young people on nicotine. .. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/12/647034155/fda-intensifies-crackdown-on-e-cigarettes-sales-to-teenagers
But since 2019 Juul has mostly been in retreat, dropping all U.S. advertising and pulling its fruit and candy flavors from store shelves.
The biggest blow came earlier this summer when the FDA moved to ban all Juul e-cigarettes from the market. Juul challenged that ruling in court, and the FDA has since reopened its scientific review of the company's technology.
The FDA review is part of a sweeping effort by regulators to bring scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays. The agency has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes for adult smokers looking for a less harmful alternative.
The company has shifted its product pitches to target older smokers
While Juul's early marketing focused on young, urban consumers, the company has since shifted to pitching its product as an alternative nicotine source for older smokers.
While Juul's early marketing focused on young, urban consumers, the company has since shifted to pitching its product as an alternative nicotine source for older smokers.
"We remain focused on our future as we fulfill our mission to transition adult smokers away from cigarettes - the number one cause of preventable death - while combating underage use," the company said in a statement.
Juul has agreed to refrain from a host of marketing practices as part of the settlement. They include not using cartoons, paying social media influencers, depicting people under 35, advertising on billboards and public transportation and placing ads in any outlets unless 85% of their audience are adults.
The deal also includes restrictions on where Juul products may be placed in stores, age verification on all sales and limits to online and retail sales.
Juul initially sold its high-nicotine pods in flavors like mango, mint and creme. The products became a scourge in U.S. high schools, with students vaping in bathrooms and hallways between classes.
But recent federal survey data shows that teens have been shifting away from the company. Most teens now prefer disposable e-cigarettes, some of which continue to be sold in sweet, fruity flavors.
Overall, the survey showed a drop of nearly 40% in the teen vaping rate as many kids were forced to learn from home during the pandemic. Still, federal officials cautioned about interpreting the results given they were collected online for the first time, instead of in classrooms.
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/06/1121304870/juul-vaping-settles-states-teen-nicotine
U.S. bans sales of Juul e-cigarettes, company to seek stay on enforcement
June 23, 2022 10:37 PM CDT, Last Updated 2 days ago
By Chris Kirkham and Aishwarya Venugopal
June 23 (Reuters) - Sales of Juul e-cigarettes were blocked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, in a major blow to the once high-flying firm whose products have been tied to a surge in teenage vaping.
The agency said the applications "lacked sufficient evidence" to show that sale of the products would be appropriate for public health, following a nearly two-year-long review of data provided by the company.
Some of the findings raised concerns due to insufficient and conflicting data, including whether potentially harmful chemicals could leach out of the Juul pods, the FDA said.
"We respectfully disagree with the FDA's findings ... intend to seek a stay and are exploring all of our options under the FDA's regulations and the law, including appealing the decision and engaging with our regulator," said Joe Murillo, chief regulatory officer at Juul.
The company said it had appropriately characterized the toxicological profile of its products and that the data met the statutory standard of being "appropriate for the protection of the public health".
Juul and other e-cigarette brands, including British American Tobacco's (BATS.L) Vuse and Imperial Brands' (IMB.L) Blu, had to meet a September 2020 deadline to file applications to the FDA showing the products provided a net benefit to public health.
The heath regulator had to judge whether each product was effective in getting smokers to quit and, if so, whether the benefits to smokers outweighed the potential health damage to new e-cigarette users, including teenagers, who never smoked.
BAT's Vuse Solo was the first e-cigarette to get the agency's clearance in October. read more
"The agency has dedicated significant resources to review products from the companies that account for most of the U.S. market. We recognize ... many have played a disproportionate role in the rise in youth vaping," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.
Teenage use of e-cigarettes surged with the rise in popularity of Juul in 2017 and 2018. Its use among high school students grew to 27.5% in 2019 from 11.7% in 2017, but fell to 11.3% in 2021, a federal survey showed.
Juul did not provide evidence to show the products were up to its standards and that raised "significant questions", the FDA said, but added it has so far not received clinical information to suggest an immediate hazard tied to the device or pods.
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An electronic cigarette device made by JUUL is shown in this picture illustration taken September 14, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/Illustration
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Juul brand vape cartridges are pictured for sale at a shop in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage
"Without the data needed to determine relevant health risks, the FDA is issuing these marketing denial orders," Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said.
Shares of tobacco giant Altria Group Inc (MO.N), which partly owns Juul, have lost about 7%, or nearly $6 billion in market value, since Wednesday when the Wall Street Journal first reported the FDA was preparing to order Juul's e-cigarettes off the market.
'HAWKISH FDA'
Juul had sought approval for its vaping device and tobacco and menthol flavored pods that had nicotine content of 5% and 3%.
E-cigarette makers have been selling products in the United States for years without being officially authorized by the FDA, as regulators repeatedly delayed deadlines for the companies to comply with federal guidelines.
Thursday's decision was cheered by public health groups, who had long warned that e-cigarettes were getting a new generation of teenagers hooked on nicotine after major strides in reducing youth cigarette use.
In 2020, the FDA banned all flavors except tobacco and menthol for cartridge-based e-cigarettes such as Juul. The company pulled all other flavors including mint and mango in late 2019.
The Biden administration has been looking at other ways to help people quit smoking in an effort to cut down on preventable cancer deaths. It said this week it plans to propose a rule establishing a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and other finished tobacco products to make them less addictive.
read more
"U.S. to propose rule to limit nicotine levels in cigarettes"
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-say-it-intends-issue-rule-reduction-nicotine-levels-cigarettes-washington-2022-06-21/
The surprise decision was an indication of a more hawkish FDA, some analysts said, as it was expected that some Juul products would be approved, following the agency's clearance of several other e-cigarette products.
BAT overtook Juul as the leader of the U.S. vaping market in April, according to data Nielsen provided to brokerage J.P. Morgan. Juul led the market in 2021, with a 38% share of the $11 billion retail sales market.
"The only opportunity for Juul to create value may be in international markets, but we expect other regulators to take a similar stance to the FDA in limiting the marketing of e-cigarettes to minors," Morningstar analyst Philip Gorham said.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-fda-halts-sales-juul-e-cigarettes-2022-06-23/
F.D.A. Moves to Ban Sales of Menthol Cigarettes
Public health experts say the proposal could save hundreds of thousands of lives, especially among Black smokers — 85 percent of whom use menthol products.
According to government survey data, 85 percent of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, compared with 29 percent of white smokers.Credit...Drew Angerer/Getty Images
By Christina Jewett
April 28, 2022
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced a plan to ban sales of menthol-flavored cigarettes in the United States, a measure many public health experts hailed as the government’s most meaningful action in more than a decade of tobacco control efforts.
The ban would most likely have the deepest impact on Black smokers, nearly 85 percent of whom use menthol cigarettes, compared with 29 percent of white smokers, according to a government survey. If effective in reducing smoking, the ban could significantly diminish the burden of chronic disease and limit the number of lives cut short by one of the most hazardous legal products available.
Menthol, a chemical derived from the mint plant that can also be made in a lab, is added to cigarettes to make smoking less harsh, providing a cooling sensation in the throat and making the experience more appealing. Menthol cigarettes make up about one third of the $80 billion U.S. cigarette market, and about 18.5 million Americans smoke them.
Banning them “would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” Xavier Becerra, the health and human services secretary, said, adding that it would significantly reduce tobacco-related deaths among Black people.
The proposed ban was announced after a frenzy of lobbying by tobacco and retail interests. Kingsley Wheaton, the chief marketing officer of British American Tobacco, which owns Reynolds, the leading seller of menthol cigarettes in the United States, said the company believed there were more effective ways to reduce the risk of tobacco than banning menthol.
“The scientific evidence shows no difference in the health risks associated with menthol cigarettes compared to non-menthol cigarettes, nor does it support that menthol cigarettes adversely affect initiation, dependence or cessation,” Mr. Wheaton said in a statement. “As a result, we do not believe the published science supports regulating menthol cigarettes differently from non-menthol cigarettes.”
Public health experts say menthol cigarettes have been heavily marketed to Black people, to devastating effect: African American men have the highest rates of lung cancer in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More on Smoking and Vaping in the U.S.
* ‘Smoking Is Back’: Cigarettes, still the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the United States, are making a comeback with a younger crowd.
* Vaping Loophole: A crackdown on flavored e-cigarettes was meant to curtail teenage vaping, but sales are rising due to synthetic nicotine.
* The Rise of Juul: Our documentary traced the e-cigarette maker on its path from fledgling start-up to Silicon Valley juggernaut and, eventually, public health villain.
* Menthol Ban: The Food and Drug Administration proposed a plan to ban sales of menthol cigarettes, a measure experts say may save hundreds of thousands of lives.
* Racial Disparities: The menthol ban could significantly affect Black smokers, nearly 85 percent of whom use the mint-flavored products.
The president of the N.A.A.C.P., Derrick Johnson, called the ban a “win for justice.”
“These products have killed our children, our parents, our brothers, sisters and livelihoods,” Mr. Johnson said in a statement. “After fighting against deadly menthol products for decades, today is a victory for Black America.”
Smoking rates overall have been falling for 20 years, although a small uptick was reported in 2020, attributed to the pandemic. Still, cigarettes are estimated to cause 480,000 deaths each year, and among those starting the habit, menthol is popular, with about half of teenage smokers reporting that they use them.
Taking menthol cigarettes off the market is expected to further reduce smoking levels. If the United States’ experience mirrors that of Canada after it banned menthol cigarettes, 1.3 million people would quit smoking and potentially hundreds of thousands of premature deaths could be averted, said Geoffrey Fong, principal investigator of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/health/menthol-ban-fda.html
