Opinion
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Heartland Daily Podcast – Chris Hughes: On the Front Lines of the FDA’s War on Vaping
Opinion -Chris Hughes, owner of Fat Cat Vapor Shop, former president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association or SFATA, joins the podcast to to talk about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new deeming rules on vaping. -
FDA Study: Cancer Risks Nearly Nil for 1-2 Cigars Per Day
Opinion -The FDA, which now regulates cigars, has taken the position that “cigar smoking carries many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking.” -
Utah Lawmaker Considers Liquor Privatization Ballot Campaign
Opinion -budget-tax-news -State Sen. Jim Dabakis (D-Salt Lake City) is considering launching a ballot initiative to privatize the 125 liquor stores controlled by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC). -
Cigarette Tax Hike Takes Effect in West Virginia
Opinion -budget-tax-news -West Virginia lawmakers approved excise tax hikes on cigarettes and e-cigarettes in June to help patch a projected $100 million shortfall in the state’s budget. -
Oklahoma Supreme Court Hears Lawsuit Challenging Cigarette Tax Hike
Opinion -budget-tax-news -The Oklahoma Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit challenging a last-minute cigarette tax hike enacted in May. -
California Lawmakers Propose Tobacco, E-Cig Ban for Government Parks
Opinion -California lawmakers are considering a proposal that would ban tobacco and e-cigarette use at government parks and beaches throughout the state. -
FDA Rolls Out New Regulations for E-cigarettes
Opinion -The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published final regulations to extend the government agency’s legal authority over tobacco products to include additional products such as e-cigarettes, which do not contain tobacco. -
White House Bucks Court Ruling Against Forced Anti-Smoking Images
Opinion -Obama administration officials are pledging to require graphic anti-smoking images on cigarette packages and advertisements despite a federal court ruling the requirement would be unconstitutional. -
Animal Rights Group: FDA’s E-Cigarette Regulations Will Kill Critters
Opinion -The Food and Drug Administration’s new electronic cigarette regulations may condemn countless animals to death, and might hurt humans too. -
Vermont Considers Applying Tobacco Tax to E-Cigarettes
Opinion -Vermont legislators are considering a bill that would tax e-cigarette products as though they are tobacco, increasing excise taxes on e-cigarettes and e-cigarette fluid in the state. House Bill 879, sponsored by state Rep. -
West Virginia Cigarette Tax Hike Bill Goes Up in Smoke
Opinion -Lawmakers in West Virginia rejected a proposal to increase the state’s excise taxes on cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Senate Bill 420 would have increased excise taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products to $1. -
Dearborn, Michigan City Council Passes Public E-Cig Restrictions
Opinion -Lawmakers in Dearborn, Michigan have passed new restrictions on e-cigarette use in the city’s government-owned parks and “mini-parks. -
Washington State Lawmakers Revive Effort to Hike Tobacco Minimum Purchasing Age
Opinion -Lawmakers in Washington State are debating a bill that would increase the legal age for tobacco purchases from 18 to 21. House Bill 2313, was introduced in January by state Rep. -
Association of Youth E-Cigarette Bans with Increased Smoking Confirmed
Opinion -There is fresh evidence indicating that attempts to prohibit youth access to e-cigarettes increase youth smoking rates. -
Durham County, NC Commissioners Add E-Cigs to Smoking Ban
Opinion -Lawmakers on the Durham County, North Carolina Board of Commissioners rang in the New Year by adding e-cigarettes to the city’s list of “tobacco” products banned from use or possession on city or county government property, including sidewalks, parks, -
Indiana Lawmakers Propose Excise Tax Hikes for Road Funding
Opinion -Indiana lawmakers are proposing to hike the state’s excise taxes on gasoline and cigarettes to generate more money for road construction and repair. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. -
Hawaii Hikes Minimum Smoking Age to 21
Opinion -A new statewide law raising the minimum age required for individuals to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes has gone into effect in Hawaii. -
It’s Too Early to Prove Absolute Safety, But Smokers Shouldn’t Wait to Vape
Opinion -Tobacco opponents say that we’ve had too little experience with e-cigarettes to know whether they are safe. While it is true that we don’t yet know the health consequences of long-term use, that should not discourage smokers from switching. -
White House Finalizing Strict E-Cig ‘Deeming’ Rules
Opinion -The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently reviewing new federal regulations requiring all e-cigarette products sold after February 15, 2007, to apply for federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, regardless of whether -
HUD Proposes Banning Smoking, E-Cigarettes in Public Housing
Opinion -The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is proposing a banning smoking in all taxpayer-funded housing apartments in the country. The final Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule may also include a ban on e-cigarette use in public housing. -
Study: Youth E-Cig Access Regulations Increase Smoking Rates
Opinion -A Yale University researcher has found a link between bans on e-cigarette use by youth under age 18 and increases in underage cigarette smoking rates. -
West Virginia Lawmakers Consider Taxing E-Cigs Like Tobacco
Opinion -West Virginia lawmakers are considering increasing the state’s sin taxes on tobacco and adding a tax on e-cigarettes to help patch a possible $12 million gap between state spending and revenue. -
Maine Snuffs Out Public Use of E-Cigarettes
Opinion -A new law expanding Maine’s ban on public tobacco use to include e-cigarettes took effect in October, prohibiting e-cigarette use in restaurants, public beaches, and other gathering spots. -
New E-Cig Tax Burns Alaskans
Opinion -Lawmakers in Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough, about 35 miles north of Anchorage, enacted an ordinance adding an excise tax of 55 percent to the price of wholesale e-cigarette purchases.