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☆ This $119 houseplant is bioengineered to remove harmful air pollution in your home.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Biotech company Neoplants just released the first houseplant grown to reduce indoor air pollution. Neo P1 can remove 30 times more VOC's, harmful indoor pollutants, than a typical houseplant. This week, the France-based biotech company Neoplants released the first houseplant bioengineered to remove harmful chemicals from indoor air. AdvertisementUnpacking the Neo P1 systemThe Neo P1 system comes with a marble queen pothos potted in a specially designed "shell," and a six-month supply of power drops. AdvertisementStriving for sustainabilityEvery part of the Neo P1 air purifying system is manufactured in the US.

Persons: —, you'd, Glenn Morrison, Patrick Torbey, Lionel Mora weren't, Mora, Torbey, Morrison, Neoplants, Jennifer Brophy, " Mora, it's, we'll Organizations: Biotech, Neoplants, Service, American Lung Association, University of North, Business, Stanford University, MIT Tech Locations: France, University of North Carolina, Torbey, VOCs, Neoplants, Paris

☆ FDA approves new drug that may help stop and even reverse a rare, fatal condition that doctors call a ‘ticking time bomb’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

These proteins cause the walls of a person’s blood vessels to keep growing and thicken over time. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood to the lungs. Treatment with a combination of drugs that dilate, or relax, blood vessels can improve this outlook, but they are not a cure. Both groups were also taking the standard medications for the condition, which help relax blood vessels to improve blood flow. But Galiatsatos said that as promising as the drug looks, there are still many unknowns, including whether the drug will benefit all PAH patients equally.

Persons: Katrina Barry, Barry, “, ”, Winrevair, Merck Winrevair, Vallerie McLaughlin, Panagis, Galiatsatos, isn’t, ” Barry, I’m, fanny, She’s, sotatercept, PAH, Sotatercept, “ There’s, Kristin Highland, Highland, ” Merck, Merck, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aaron Waxman, Barry’s, he’s, they’ve, Johnson –, Waxman, “ I’ve, “ It’s, who’ve Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, US Food and Drug Administration, Merck, FDA, University of Michigan, PAH, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, New England, of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Institute, Clinical, CNN Health, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Johnson Locations: PAH, American, Greece, Boston

☆ Any use of marijuana linked to higher risk of heart attack and stroke, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Smoking, vaping or eating marijuana is linked to a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke, even if a person had no existing heart conditions and did not smoke or vape tobacco, a new study found. While both daily and non-daily users had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke compared to nonusers, stroke risk rose 42% and the risk of heart attack rose 25% if cannabis was used daily, the study found. Younger adults — defined as men under 55 and women under 65 years old — who used marijuana had a 36% higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke regardless of whether they also used traditional tobacco products. Heart disease and marijuana use a known linkPrevious research has already found a link between heart disease and marijuana use. Also called atherosclerosis, CAD is the most common type of heart disease, according to the CDC.

Persons: ”, Abra Jeffers, ” Jeffers, Robert Page II, ” Page, Page, — Organizations: CNN, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, American Lung Association, Getty, American Heart Association, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC Locations: Boston, Aurora , Colorado

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is setting tougher standards for deadly soot pollution, saying that reducing fine particle matter from tailpipes, smokestacks and other industrial sources could prevent thousands of premature deaths a year. Soot pollution has declined sharply in the past two decades, even as the U.S. gross domestic product has increased by more than 50%, Regan said. Bakersfield tied with Visalia in California's San Joaquin Valley as the most polluted city for year-round particle pollution. Wildfires in the western U.S. were a major contributing factor to increased levels of particle pollution, the report said. Six of the 10 cities with the most soot pollution were in California, and two more were in the West: Medford, Oregon and greater Phoenix.

Persons: —, Biden, Michael Regan, Harris, “, Obama, Joe Biden, Regan, we’ve, Manish Bapna, Ben Jealous, Jeffrey Zients, Barack Obama, Donald Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Environmental, Environmental Protection Agency, Industry, Biden, Democratic, Administration, Natural Resources Defense Council, EPA, Sierra Club, Republican, Companies, and Paper Association, National Association of Manufacturers, White House, American Lung Association, Visalia Locations: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Bakersfield , California, Fresno , California, Bakersfield, California's San Joaquin, U.S, California, West, Medford , Oregon, Phoenix

Because anti-smoking groups aren’t just fighting the tobacco companies these days. They have fractured over tobacco harm reduction — the idea that people who cannot or will not quit smoking should be provided with alternatives, notably e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine without burning tobacco. They argue that e-cigarettes will lead to a new generation addicted to nicotine, even if they are not smoking. It focuses largely, but not entirely, on reduced-risk nicotine products, a category that includes e-cigarettes, oral tobacco, and “heat not burn” products that warm up tobacco without burning it. There are no safe tobacco products; all fall along what’s called a continuum of risk.

Persons: Cliff Douglas, Philip Morris, Douglas, “, ” Douglas, Bloomberg Philanthropies, American Heart Association —, Michael Bloomberg, that’s, General’s, ”, Charles Gardner, Joanna Cohen, Ellen MacKenzie, Yolonda Richardson, Deborah Arnott, “ I’m, Michael Cummings, they’ve, Marc Gunther Organizations: Foundation, Philip, Philip Morris International, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Centers for Disease Control, Bloomberg, Tobacco, American Heart Association, Truth Initiative, Rockefeller, UBS Optimus, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Campaign, Reuters, FDA, Centers for Disease, Medical University of South, Associated Press, Philanthropy, AP Locations: United States, – California , Massachusetts , New Jersey , New York, Rhode, San Francisco, —, British, Medical University of South Carolina, vaping

☆ Why does gas cost more in California?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It adds about 10 cents of additional cost per gallon of gas, said Borenstein. Yet, in the fall of 2022, California gas prices shot up to a record high of nearly $6.50 per gallon after multiple refineries suffered outages. The shrinking number of oil refineries in California is another reason there’s a growing gap between California and the rest of the country’s gas prices. Those 11 refineries produce 90% of California’s gas and diesel fuel, according to California’s energy department. But Borenstein has another theory for why the price of gas is so much higher in California.

Persons: That’s, Severin Borenstein, Borenstein, Ronald Reagan, ” Reagan, David Paul Morris, ”, “, Patrick De Haan, ” Borenstein Organizations: Los Angeles CNN —, AAA, University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, California Air Resources Board, Gov, Carrell, Act, Bloomberg, Getty, American Lung Association, US Energy Information Administration, Drivers, Shell, Mobil Locations: United States, California, Golden, Angeles, Los Angeles, San Francisco , California, Hawaii, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, “ California, Chevron

It is responsible for about one-third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. The new methane rule will help ensure that the United States meets a goal set by more than 100 nations to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, Regan said. The EPA rule is just one of more than 100 actions the Biden administration has taken to reduce methane emissions, Zaidi added. The plan marks the first time the U.S. government has directly imposed a fee, or tax, on greenhouse gas emissions. The oil industry has generally welcomed direct federal regulation of methane emissions, preferring a single national standard to a hodgepodge of state rules.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, Michael Regan, Ali Zaidi, Regan, ” Regan, Zaidi, Harris, Harold Wimmer, Wimmer, David Doniger, ”, Obama, I'm, Fred Krupp Organizations: WASHINGTON, Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations, United Arab Emirates, Oil, UN, United States, Biden, Harris Administration, American Lung Association, EPA, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund Locations: Dubai, United Arab, U.S, Paris, Scotland, Egypt, United

Over the years these cars have gotten bigger and so has their cost to the climate, as carbon dioxide emissions “are almost directly proportional to fuel use” for gas-powered cars. Since then, he has owned several pure-electric cars, and currently owns both a Genesis GV60 electric SUV and a Tesla Model 3. Meanwhile, smaller vehicles, or sedans, have lost a lot of ground in the U.S. market over the past decade. But even the most efficient SUVs will be less efficient than sedans because SUVs weigh so much more. See more about AP’s climate initiative here.

Persons: it's, George Parrott, ”, Parrott, Eric Frehsée, Loren McDonald, ” McDonald, John Organizations: Global, Initiative, International Energy Agency, Transportation, Toyota, Tesla, EV, U.S, Tamaroff, Chevrolet Tahoe, Toyota Sequoia, Nissan, Honda, U.S . Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, National, Traffic Safety Administration, AP Locations: West Sacramento , California, Sacramento, U.S, Edmunds, Michigan, Press

☆ A rapid clean-energy transition could save 181 million years of healthy human life annually by 2050, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A rapid transition to green energy sources would prevent a lot of disability and early death, researchers say. In the year 2050 alone, the transition's impact amounts to 181 million future years of healthy human life, a new report found. Add to that list 181 million years of healthy human life — annually. Mohammad Ponir Hossain/ReutersDisability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, capture years of life affected by disability and years lost to premature death. If the world rapidly transitions to renewables, they found, the energy system will still hurt human health enough in 2050 to lead to early death and disability that affects 30 million years of human life.

Persons: Martin Meissner, it's, Stephanie Roe, WWF's, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Nick Oxford, Dylan Martinez, Jonathan Buonocore, Buonocore, Lyu, Roe Organizations: Service, Wildlife Fund, Boston Consulting, Reuters, American Lung Association . Mines, Harvard, Boston University School of Public Health, WWF, China News Service, Getty, International Energy Agency, Stanford Locations: Haltern, Germany, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Texas, Fujian Province, China

☆ Lung cancer: Causes, symptoms and treatments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The American Cancer Society has just updated their lung cancer screening guidelines in an effort to increase earlier detection. In women, breast cancer is more common than lung cancer, and in men, prostate cancer is more common than lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, there will be about 238,000 cases of lung cancer, and about 127,000 people will die from lung cancer. Wen: There are two main types of lung cancers, small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Those with first-degree relatives with lung cancer may also have a slightly higher risk of lung cancer themselves, though often this is hard to separate from the effect of second-hand smoke.

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen Organizations: CNN, American Cancer Society, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Getty, American Lung Association Locations: United States

The decision by EPA Administrator Michael Regan means that one of the agency's most important air quality regulations will not be updated until well after the 2024 presidential election. Political Cartoons View All 1145 ImagesThe delay marks the second time in 12 years that a Democratic administration has put off a new ozone standard prior to an election year. Former President Barack Obama shut down plans to tighten ozone standards in 2011, leading to four-year delay before the standards were updated in 2015. "Unfortunately we’ve seen the process for updating the ozone standards repeatedly swept up in political games that risk lives,'' the lawmakers said in an Aug. 7 letter to EPA. Lianne Sheppard, a University of Washington biostatistics professor who chairs the scientific advisory panel, said Regan's decision was “his alone” to make.

Persons: Michael Regan, “, Regan, ”, Barack Obama, Paul Billings, Raul Garcia, ” Garcia, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, we’ve, Conor Bernstein, EPA’s, Donald Trump, Bernstein, Andrea Woods, —, Lianne Sheppard, Richard Moore, Peggy Shepard, Moore, Sheppard, Tomas Carbonell, Carbonell Organizations: WASHINGTON, Environmental Protection Agency, Republicans, Democratic, American Lung Association, National Mining Association, American Petroleum Institute, Scientific Advisory, White, Environmental, EPA, University of Washington, E, White House, Los Jardines Institute, WE ACT, Environmental Justice, Air Locations: Billings, Albuquerque , New Mexico, New York City

Particle pollution is a “key ingredient” of wildfire smoke, Barrett told CNN. “Sometimes we can see, smell, and even taste the impacts of wildfire smoke,” Barrett said. Mountain ranges can shield some regions from worse air pollution by keeping smoke aloft when it travels, Mass said. Pittsburgh - June 29, 2023An MLB game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates is delayed as Canadian wildfire smoke descends on downtown Pittsburgh. San Francisco - Sept. 9, 2020Smoke from northern California wildfires casts a reddish glow in San Francisco, California.

Persons: ”, William Barrett, Barrett, ” Barrett, Clifford, Talat Odman, Mass, “ It’s, “ You’re, Lev Radin, Scott Olson, Kevork, Joe Robbins, San Diego Padres, Andrew McCutchen, Carr, George Rose, Ray Chavez, David Zalubowski Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, University of Washington, Georgia Institute of Technology, Washington DC, ” CNN, Pacific Press, York City, MLB, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego, Pirates, MediaNews, Mercury, Environmental Protection Agency Denver, Denver International Airport, Denver Locations: Canada, United States, Northern Europe, New York City, York City, Chicago, Irvine, Santiago, Irvine , California, California, Santa, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, Sacramento , California, Shasta County , California, San Francisco, San Francisco , California, San Francisco Bay

☆ Judge Strikes Down F.D.A. Rule Regulating Premium Cigars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Christina Jewett | More About Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

“All cigars, including premium cigars, can cause death and disease, and no tobacco product should be without regulation of any kind,” he said. began a process to regulate cigars. The agency did ask for public comment over whether premium cigars could be regulated less rigorously. opted to require premium cigar makers to conduct extensive studies of their products, list ingredients and register them annually. The agency concluded that regulating all cigars equally “more completely protects the public health.”Groups supporting the cigar industry, in turn, sued.

Persons: Thomas Carr, Mr, Carr, Michael Edney, Hunton Andrews Kurth, ”, “, ’ ” Organizations: Public, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, Tobacco Control, Rights, America, Congress

☆ Vaping was marketed as an avenue to quit smoking cigarettes. But some smokers are now just doing both, CDC study finds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A new CDC study found that some people have taken to smoking both cigarettes and vapes. Vapes were previously pitched as a way to switch or quit smoking cigarettes. Vapes have previously been marketed as a way to quit smoking cigarettes. Among all American adults, the CDC study found that 10.2% smoked only cigarettes, 3.2% smoked only e-cigarettes, and 1.3% smoked both. Meanwhile, adults aged 45 and over largely preferred cigarettes only, reporting the lowest percentages of e-cigarette use or dual use.

Persons: Vapes Organizations: CDC, Morning, Disease Control, Drug Administration, American Lung Association

☆ US state attorneys general clash over EPA emissions plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Environmental Protection Agency in April proposed new 2027-2032 vehicle standards that would be the most dramatic reductions in history. The EPA estimates that to meet the new standards, automakers would need to have 60% of new production be electric vehicles by 2030 and 67% by 2032. The rules would cut emissions by 56% from existing 2026 requirements to speed the transition away from gasoline-powered engines to electric vehicles. Democratic attorneys general from New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois and other states said the EPA should go further. Many Republican state attorneys general have sued the EPA over its 2021 restoration of the Obama-era standards that were rolled back under Republican former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Joe Biden's, Kentucky's Daniel Cameron, Patrick Morrisey, Obama, Donald Trump, EVs, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Republican, Democratic, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, District of Columbia, West, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, American Petroleum Institute, Mazda, Ford, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, New York , California , Pennsylvania, Illinois, Chicago , New York, Los Angeles

☆ Republican attorneys general urge Biden to drop EPA emissions plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Signage is seen at the headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency in April proposed new 2027-2032 vehicle standards that would cut emissions by 56% versus existing 2026 requirements. Many Republican state attorneys general have sued the EPA over its 2021 restoration of the Obama-era standards that were rolled back under Republican former President Donald Trump. The group called the proposal a "de facto battery electric vehicle mandate" and noted that EVs represented about 6% of new light-duty vehicles sales in 2022. Mazda (7261.T) said separately that it was worried about the "exceptional stringency" of the rule, while Ford Motor (F.N) said the EPA should "avoid setting criteria emissions requirements that will force unnecessarily large or ill-timed investments."

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Biden, Kentucky's Daniel Cameron, Patrick Morrisey, Obama, Donald Trump, EVs, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler Organizations: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Republican, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, West, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, American Lung Association, American Medical Association, Mazda, Ford, Thomson Locations: Washington ,

☆ Don't worry pizza-heads, NYC is still safe for pizza
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Lawmakers and prominent social media personalities have in recent days rallied against a proposed New York City rule that some say would crack down on the city’s beloved pizzerias. New York City is famously and deservedly known for its pizza. I hear New York City is trying to ban delicious pizza. New York City Mayor Eric Adams made a similar point during a press conference on Monday. So wait, did someone really throw a pizza at City Hall in protest of the proposed rule?

Persons: pizzerias, Sen, Marsha Blackburn, ” Dave Portnoy, Elon Musk, Michael Berman, Photodisc, “, Edward “ Ted ”, Michael Seilback, Pizza's, Artem Vorobiev, ”, Garima, Seilback, Eric Adams, wouldn’t, Adams Organizations: New, New York CNN — Lawmakers, Tennessee, Barstool Sports, Twitter, City Hall, City, city’s Department of Environmental, CNN, New York City Department of Environmental, Edward “ Ted ” Timbers, NYC Department of Environmental, American Lung Association, Getty, Columbia University, New York City Locations: New York, New York City, York City

☆ New York City residents urged to stay indoors as unhealthy air quality from Canadian wildfires persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York City public schools canceled all outdoor activities Wednesday, but will remain open. At least 10 school districts in central New York state canceled outdoor activities and events Tuesday. By 7 a.m. Wednesday, New York City’s air quality index was just below 180, a designation of “unhealthy,” according to IQair. New York City tallied to the worst air quality of any major metropolitan area Tuesday at 10 p.m., IQair’s data showed. Cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, are expected to see their air quality improve throughout the day.

Persons: Eric Adams, IQair, ”, William Barrett Organizations: CNN, New, Carolinas, National Weather Service, New York, . New York City, Doha, Air, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, World Health Organization, American Lung Association Locations: Canada, New York, New York City, Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Wednesday, . New, New Delhi, India, Qatar, Baghdad, Iraq, Lahore, Pakistan, Quebec, South Carolina, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Raleigh , North Carolina

New York City’s air quality index was above 200 at one point Tuesday night – a level that is “very unhealthy,” according to IQair. Later Tuesday night, New York City had the second-worst levels of air pollution in the world after New Delhi, India, IQair reported. Air quality alerts were in effect across parts of the Northeast and the Midwest on Tuesday as wildfire smoke spread west into Detroit and Chicago. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesDetroit was listed in IQair’s top 10 worst locations for air pollution on Tuesday afternoon. Chicago’s air quality was moderate on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to remain moderate for the next couple of days.

Persons: IQair, ”, William Barrett, ” Barrett, Spencer Platt Organizations: CNN, New, Doha, World Health, World Health Organization, American Lung Association, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Midwest, National Weather Service, Getty, Detroit, IQAir Locations: New York City, Quebec, York, New Delhi, India, Qatar, Baghdad, Iraq, Lahore, Pakistan, New York, Canadian, Canada, Detroit, Chicago, IQair’s, New England, Massachusetts , Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont, Cities, Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, Providence, Montpelier , Vermont, South Carolina, IQAir North America

☆ The Places With the Worst Air Pollution in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Gareth Vipers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif., area ranked worst for ozone air pollution, according to a recent report. Photo: Jae C. Hong/Associated PressMore than one in three Americans—some 119.6 million people—live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to a new study released by the American Lung Association. West Coast states are overwhelmingly affected by serious air pollution issues, the group’s annual State of the Air study found. Of the 25 worst counties for ozone air pollution, 17 were in California, according to the group’s data.

☆ California and other Western states lead in unhealthy levels of air pollution, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The "State of the Air" report found that nearly 120 million people, more than a third of the population, lived in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution between 2019 and 2021. The report assigned letter grades reflecting the number of days that air quality in a specific area reached unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index. Exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution makes breathing difficult for more people across the U.S. than any other single pollutant, the report said. Wildfires in the region were a major factor in the increasing number of days and places with unhealthy levels of particle pollution, the report found. The report used data from air-quality monitors managed by state, local and tribal air pollution control authorities in counties across the country.

Feb 27 - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to Los Angeles County's ban on sales of flavored tobacco products brought by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which had argued that only the federal government - not state or local governments - has the legal authority to regulate tobacco products. The Supreme Court in December allowed a California statewide ban on flavored tobacco products, also challenged by R.J. Reynolds, to go into effect. California became the second state to ban all flavored tobacco product sales, after Massachusetts in 2019. Flavored tobacco products, especially e-cigarettes, have come under scrutiny in recent years as critics have said they appeal to youth. Circuit Court of Appeals last year upheld the Los Angeles ban on a 2-1 vote.

☆ FDA fines e-cigarette makers for selling products illegally in ‘wakeup call’ to tobacco manufacturers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

BAM Group LLC, Great American Vapes LLC, The Vapor Corner Inc and 13 Vapor Co LLC did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. “Holding manufacturers accountable for making or selling illegal tobacco products is a top priority for the FDA,” said Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “These actions should be a wakeup call that all tobacco product manufacturers – big or small – are required to obey the law,” King said. The agency can seize products, file injunctions to not sell the products, and the companies can face criminal prosecutions. “With these fines, FDA is finally speaking a language these manufacturers understand,” Sward told CNN.

☆ U.S. EPA tightens soot standards for first time in decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fine particulate matter, or soot, comes from sources ranging from power plants to cars and trucks. It causes lung and heart damage and has been found to disproportionately affect low-income communities, according to EPA. "Fine particulate matter is both deadly and extremely costly," EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters, adding the decision was "based on sound science and a rigorous evaluation of the data that we have at hand." The EPA said it would also take public comment on revising the level to as low as 8 µg/m3, and as high as 11 µg/m3. The EPA also opted to retain the current primary 24-hour PM 2.5 standard of 35 µg/m3, despite a CASAC recommendation to lower that number to 25 µg/m3.

☆ FDA needs to do better at policing online tobacco retailers, new report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration is falling down on the job of policing online tobacco retailers, according to a highly critical new report from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. “It is unclear to what extent FDA conducted additional oversight of these online tobacco retailers at later dates and found subsequent violations that could result in FDA taking enforcement actions,” the report says. While it can be difficult to police online retailers due to the sheer volume and the internet’s “wild West” nature, as one FDA official described it in the report, it says the FDA could do better by collaborating more closely with ATF on the oversight of these online retailers. The report recommends that the FDA finish making rules about online sales, as it was supposed to do years ago, and collect data about its oversight of online retailers. What stood out to Sward in the report was the FDA’s lack of follow-up beyond warning letters to online retailers.

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