Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Tulare Vaping Death Reported. Gov. Newsom Launches Campaign to Warn of Dangers.
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
September 16, 2019

Share

SACRAMENTO — A death related to the use of e-cigarettes was confirmed in Tulare County on Monday.
On the same day, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California will spend $20 million on a public awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping nicotine and cannabis products and step up efforts to halt the sale of illicit products amid a rise in vaping-related illnesses.
The suspected cause of death in the Tulare County  case was “severe pulmonary injury associated with vaping,” said Dr. Karen Haught, Tulare County Public Health Officer, in a news release.
Symptoms of vape-associated pulmonary injury (VAPI) can include shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, nausea, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. There have been three reports of pulmonary illness associated with vaping in Tulare County, the release said.

Vaping Illnesses Growing Nationwide

Many of the hundreds of nationwide vaping illnesses appear linked to use of cannabis-based oils, though some people reported vaping nicotine products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California has seen at least 63 cases and one of the six deaths reported around the country.
At the same time, flavored e-cigarettes made by companies such as Juul Labs are contributing to a rise in youth smoking. The public awareness campaign Newsom announced aims to tackle all forms of vaping, he said.
“As a father of four, this has been an issue that has been brought to the forefront of my consciousness,” he said.

Flavored E-Cigarettes Also Under Fire

While President Donald Trump and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have announced plans to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, Newsom said he doesn’t have similar executive authority. But he said he wants lawmakers to send him legislation to do so next year.
A similar effort failed this year, but the lawmakers behind it said they’ll try again.
“We fully support the Governor’s belief that these products should be banned, and we look forward to working with him to pass legislation that will bring an end to this public health crisis and protect the youth in our state,” Sen. Jerry Hill and Assemblymen Jim Wood and Kevin McCarty, all Democrats, said in a statement.
Most of Newsom’s actions center on the use of e-cigarettes, though he said the state is stepping up its enforcement of illicit cannabis products as well.
A spokesman for Juul Labs, one of the most prominent e-cigarette companies, said the company is reviewing Newsom’s announcement and applauds action to crack down on counterfeit and knockoff vaping products.
“On reported illnesses, we have been monitoring the situation closely,” spokesman Ted Kwong said in an emailed statement. Juul products do not contain THC or any compound derived from cannabis, he said.

Vaping Products Taxed Less than Traditional Cigarettes

Beyond the public awareness campaign, Newsom has directed the state departments of public health and tax and fee administration to explore ways to warn people about the potential dangers of vaping and tackle the sale of illicit products.
He’s asked the public health department to explore new warning signs at retailers and in advertisements.
On the tax side, he’s asking officials to consider changing how e-cigarettes are taxed, because they typically face lower taxes than traditional cigarettes. Making the products more expensive to buy could make them harder for teenagers to purchase, he argued. Juul did not specifically comment on that aspect of Newsom’s proposal or his call for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes.
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration may also try to implement a tracking system on the distribution of nicotine-based vaping products, similar to the “track and trace” program it already uses for legal cannabis.
Such a program would allow it to track the amount of vaping product distributors are giving retailers. The department would then track that against the tax it is collecting from retailers. That would help the state see if retailers are making money from illicit or untaxed products, said Nick Maduros, the department’s director.
Josh Drayton of the California Cannabis Industry Association says the legal marijuana industry already follows rigorous standards and it supports efforts to place those same standards on nicotine-based products.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

DON'T MISS

Trump Trade War Has Already Had Huge Effect on California Ports

DON'T MISS

Cambodian American Chefs Are Finding Success and Raising Their Culture’s Profile. On Their Terms

DON'T MISS

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

DON'T MISS

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

DON'T MISS

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

DON'T MISS

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

DON'T MISS

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

DON'T MISS

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

UP NEXT

How Gentrification Is Killing the Bus: California’s Rising Rents Are Pushing Out Commuters

UP NEXT

Loretta Swit, Emmy-winner Who Played Houlihan on Pioneering TV Series ‘M.A.S.H.,’ Has Died at 87

UP NEXT

Medicaid Work Rules Could Leave a Million Californians With No Health Insurance

UP NEXT

California Lawmaker Won’t Be Charged After Citation for Suspicion of Impaired Driving

UP NEXT

1 in 4 US Children Have Parents With Substance Use Disorder, Study Finds

UP NEXT

Dozens Sickened in Expanding Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Recalled Cucumbers

UP NEXT

Newsom Tussles With Local Officials Over Homelessness

UP NEXT

How Trump’s Vow to Revoke Chinese Student Visas Could Hurt California

UP NEXT

Speaker Johnson Raises Campaign Money in Fresno

UP NEXT

A Program Paying CA Jurors $100 a Day Would End Due to Newsom’s Budget Cuts

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

14 hours ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

1 day ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

1 day ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

1 day ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

1 day ago

California Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Vows to Repeal Transgender Athlete Law

1 day ago

Trans Athlete Competes in California Championships in Clovis Despite National Controversy

1 day ago

Tim Walz Urges Democrats to Fight Back Harder Against ‘Bully’ Trump

1 day ago

US Defense Secretary Warns Indo-Pacific Allies of ‘Imminent’ Threat From China

1 day ago

Hamas Responds to the US Ceasefire Proposal for Gaza While Seeking Amendments

2 days ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

For your next trip, have you considered townsizing? What about choosing a detour destination? And instead of forest-bathing, maybe it’...

13 hours ago

13 hours ago

Townsizing? Land Snorkeling? A User’s Guide to the Latest Travel Lingo

13 hours ago

Trump Trade War Has Already Had Huge Effect on California Ports

14 hours ago

Cambodian American Chefs Are Finding Success and Raising Their Culture’s Profile. On Their Terms

14 hours ago

Ancient DNA Reveals a New Group of People Who Lived Near Land Bridge Between the Americas

1 day ago

FDA Approves Moderna’s New Lower-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine

1 day ago

Cabrera, Three Relievers Combine to Lead Marlins to Win Over Giants

1 day ago

Spike in Steel Tariffs Could Imperil Trump Promise of Lower Grocery Prices

1 day ago

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out With Broken Toe After Late-Night Bedroom Mishap

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend