Gov. Jared Polis says he doesn’t support a bipartisan bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol cigarettes, because he prefers a local regulatory approach. But some city and county leaders explicitly support the measure, now stalled in the legislature, and two organizations that represent local governments and fiercely […]
teen vaping
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Banning all flavored tobacco doesn’t work
Colorado lawmakers are attempting to ban the sale of flavored tobacco and vapor products under the auspice of “protecting the children.” It’s laudable to reduce youth use of age-restricted products, but a ban on all flavored tobacco and vapor products disregards data indicating youth are not overwhelmingly using combustible tobacco products. This could lead to […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Health, News
Colorado attorney general sues Juul, claims vape company marketed to kids and downplayed health risks
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Tuesday he has filed a lawsuit against Juul that alleges the vaping company marketed its products to kids and downplayed their health risks. Weiser is also accusing Juul of falsely suggesting its vaping products are a healthy smoking alternative and can help people quit using cigarettes. Weiser’s office has […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Teen vaping cannot be Colorado’s new normal. This is a preventable epidemic
Just when I thought we were making significant strides at preventing teens from smoking traditional tobacco, the tobacco industry invented vaping and Colorado’s teen vaping epidemic ensued. I have had to change my practice, the questions I ask my patients, and the counseling I offer because the tobacco industry has been very successful at getting […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Here are the big ideas that Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado lawmakers pitched for the 2020 session
By Erica Breunlin, Jennifer Brown, Moe Clark, John Ingold and Jesse PaulThe Colorado Sun From mental health to teacher pay, Colorado’s leaders are exploring innovative ideas to tackle the state’s biggest challenges. Gov. Jared Polis and four state lawmakers pitched their ideas Tuesday at the Big Ideas Forum hosted by The Colorado Sun, CBS4 and […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers will weigh in 2020 whether to ban flavored vaping products
State Rep. Yadira Caraveo plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to ban flavored vaping products as a way to curb what officials say are crisis levels of teen e-cigarette use in Colorado. “These flavors are targeted toward children, and really are meant, in my opinion, as a way to addict a new generation […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: It’s time for Colorado to respond to the teen vaping epidemic
“Gummy bear,” “cotton candy” and “banana split” aren’t just candy flavors you might find in your child’s Halloween basket; they are flavors that tobacco executives are using right now to hook kids like yours on nicotine vaping. Despite the news you may have recently read about the Trump administration’s new restrictions on nicotine vaping products, […]
Posted inHealth, News
Colorado has the highest teen vaping rate in the country. Why hasn’t it seen more cases of lung illness?
As a mysterious lung illness related to vaping sweeps across the nation, add one more mystery to the mix: Colorado, which has the highest youth vaping rate in the nation and also was one of the first states in the country with cannabis vaping products for sale in stores, hasn’t so far seen many documented […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Boulder misses the mark on e-cigarettes
Everyone is concerned about the uptick in teen vaping. But too often the regulatory response is misguided, which makes it harder for adult smokers to quit, and threatens to undo decades of work done to reduce teen smoking. Boulder, like many other states and municipalities, is considering an e-cigarette flavor ban. This would prohibit the […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado is set to ban vaping where smoking is already prohibited, following more than a dozen other states
Colorado is headed toward joining more than a dozen other states that have banned vaping anywhere smoking is already prohibited. It’s the latest effort by state lawmakers to help Colorado shed its rank as the No. 1 state for U.S. teen e-cigarette use. “The reason that we are doing this — besides the fact that […]