Juul's campaign to convince America it does not target kids to vape is getting crushed by lawmakers, attorney generals and the media. The backlash is wicked — and widespread:
Driving the news: Attorneys general from Illinois and Washington, D.C. are launching new investigations into Juul, and how the company's e-cigarettes became so popular with young people, reports AP. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a formal warning on Friday against the broad use of e-cigarettes and recommended users avoid buying bootlegged vaping products.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a formal warning on Friday against the use of e-cigarettes, recommending users do not buy bootlegged e-cigarettes or modify vaping products or substances, per a press release.
Why it matters: As of Aug. 27, 215 cases of lung illnesses associated with vaping had been reported, along with 1 death related to e-cigarette use, the New York Times reports.
At least 298 people in the U.S. have been hospitalized due to a lung-related illness possibly linked to vaping, NBC reports.
What's happening: The CDC and FDA said they were investigating 193 cases of the illness last week, alongside state health departments, after an adult in Illinois died. Investigators have not identified a specific product or compound that is linked to all confirmed cases, according to Acting Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases at the CDC, Ileana Arias.
Juul is offering retailers $100 million in incentives to "install a new electronic age-verification system" that the vaping giant hopes will restrict illegal sales to minors, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: This is Juul's latest attempt to fight the allegations that the company has helped fuel the teen vaping epidemic.
Pinterest said yesterday that it will start showing only information from health organizations — like the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the WHO-established Vaccine Safety Net — when people search for vaccine information, AP reports.
Why it matters: Vaccine misinformation has spread via social media, and experts worry that it's dissuading parents from vaccinating their children. The implications are clear: The measles outbreak recently broke a 27-year record.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, with a series of new policy plans, has put into full, detailed view how he would reorder or referee almost every part of American life.
Why it matters: A new Quinnipiac Poll shows Sanders leads Trump, 53% to 39%. So yes, America might elect a socialist. Meanwhile, he's pulling the 2020 field closer to his views.
