There’s encouraging news concerning the epidemic of youth vaping: preliminary data shows a significant decline in use after the FDA and many states banned the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes. About 20 percent of high school students said they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, compared to 27.5 percent a year ago, based on a survey by the FDA and CDC that was conducted between January and March this year.
The decline also coincided with the raising of the legal purchase age for tobacco products to 21, and the outbreak of vaping-related respiratory illnesses that sickened thousands and led to hospitalizations and death. The data, while still early, clearly indicates a link between restricting the sale of flavored vaping products that are popular with teens and young adults and lower rates of use—which should spur the FDA to make the temporary ban on flavored vapes permanent and take further steps to curb youth vaping.
Meanwhile, seven people have died in California after police raided an illegal pot-growing operation—and also found 1,000 pounds of marijuana. Legalization supporters claim that a legal market for pot is better than an illegal one, yet despite legal recreational pot in California since 2016 the illicit market is still thriving—especially in rural areas.
And finally, the Wall Street Journal does a deep dive into statistics about opioid overdose deaths during the corona virus pandemic, finding that counties across the country are reporting rising fatalities. Social-distancing limitations are complicating treatment for people who struggle with addiction and the organizations that provide services to them, along with disruptions in health care and economic dislocation, the paper reports.