E-Cigarette Battle Highlights Tobacco Industry’s Extraordinary Clout In D.C.

The industry is launching an all-out effort to stop a new Food and Drug Administration rule regulating e-cigarettes and cigars.

The New York Times: Tobacco Industry Works To Block Rules On E-Cigarettes

The e-cigarette and cigar industries have enlisted high-profile lobbyists and influential congressional allies in an attempt to stop the Food and Drug Administration from retroactively examining their products for public health risks or banning them from the market. The campaign targets a broad new rule that extends F.D.A. jurisdiction to include cigars, e-cigarettes and pipe and hookah tobacco. (Lipton, 9/2)

Meanwhile, the American Heart Association is pressuring pharmacies over tobacco products —

The Hill: Pharmacies Urged To Ban Tobacco

The American Heart Association is pressuring pharmacies to follow the lead of CVS and stop selling tobacco. “The public wants this absurd contradiction to come to an end,” CEO Nancy Brown said. “If you promote health, you should not be in the business of selling products that can lead to addiction and death,” she added. This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study Thursday that shows 66 percent of Americans do not want pharmacies selling tobacco, including roughly half of the smokers surveyed. (Devaney, 9/1)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription