Bill to raise tobacco age has unlikely allies: Altria, Juul
Congress is moving to pass the biggest new sales restrictions on tobacco products in more than a decade, with support from two unlikely backers: Marlboro-cigarette maker Altria and vaping giant Juul Labs. The legislation would raise the minimum age to purchase all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, from 18 to 21 nationwide, a step long-sought by health advocates. But in the past year Juul and Altria have emerged as the biggest supporters of the measure, blanketing Capitol Hill with lobbyists and advertisements touting their support for a national “Tobacco 21” law. Tobacco critics contend the companies’ support is calculated to head off even harder-hitting government action: a ban on all flavored tobacco products, including fruit and dessert e-cigarettes. Their stance puts them in the unusual position of criticizing a move they long supported, arguing that the sales restriction isn’t enough. “Altria and Juul clearly support this in order to argue that no other action is necessary,” said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “If you don’t eliminate the flavors that the industry has used to fuel the epidemic, you won’t solve the youth e-cigarette crisis.” The bipartisan legislation, supported by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, has been attached to a package of must-pass spending bills that will keep the government running into next year. Juul and Altria — the vaping company’s biggest investor — threw their support behind the bill earlier this year amid a backlash against e-cigarettes at the local, state and national levels. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable aerosol. Current federal law prohibits sales of e-cigarettes and all other tobacco products to those under 18. But more than one in four high school students report vaping regularly, according to the latest government figures. And health officials have called the vaping trend an “epidemic.” Until September, Juul argued that its sweet flavors — including mango, mint and fruit — could help adult smokers switch from traditional cigarettes to vaping. But the company dropped that message as President Donald Trump announced plans to remove virtually all vaping flavors from the market, due to their appeal to children. The Silicon Valley company has halted sales of all but two of its flavors, menthol and tobacco, and pledged not to oppose Trump’s plan. But momentum for the nationwide ban has faded amid push-back from vaping advocates and some conservative groups. And Trump has voiced support for alternative approaches to keep e-cigarettes away from kids, including raising the purchase age to 21. The age hike is expected to limit the supply of all vaping and tobacco products in high schools by putting them out of reach to 12th graders. Myers’ group and other health advocates say Congress should both raise the age limit and ban all “kid-friendly” flavors. Even with most of Juul’s flavors off the market, smaller companies continue to market an array of flavored products, including “grape slushie,” “strawberry cotton candy” and “sea salt blueberry.” And the industry’s main trade association is suing to keep e-cigarettes, including flavors, widely available. Altria, the nation’s largest tobacco company, said it supports a “clean” Tobacco 21 bill — focused exclusively on raising the age limit — because it is the “quickest and most effective” way to address the recent surge in teen vaping. For decades previously, Altria and other tobacco companies aggressively defended the 18-year-old minimum purchase age. Juul has similarly supported legislation that raises the purchase age without touching flavors. And while the companies say they lobby separately, both quickly backed the Tobacco 21 bill introduced in May by McConnell and Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. The companies’ support sapped attention away from other proposals that would have gone much further. For example, a bill from New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone would have raised the purchase age to 21 and banned flavors from all vaping and tobacco products — including menthol cigarettes — and prohibited online sales. The bill was endorsed by a dozen health groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. “Flavors attract kids and kids are the tobacco industry — including the e-cigarette industry’s — future,” said Erika Sward, a vice president with the American Lung Association. But efforts to advance flavor restrictions in the Senate fell flat, including a bill sponsored by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican-Alaska, and Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat-Illnois, that was withdrawn from committee consideration at the last minute. “Because I wasn’t certain that I had the votes at the time,” Murkowski told The Associated Press. “You don’t want to lose.” The logic for hiking the purchase age for cigarettes is clear: most underage teens who use tobacco get it from older friends. An estimated 90 percent of smokers start before age 18. Delaying access to cigarettes is expected to produce major downstream health benefits, with one government-funded report estimating nearly 250,000 fewer deaths due to tobacco over several decades. Still, anti-tobacco experts say age restrictions are only effective when they are vigorously enforced, and tobacco sales can fall through the cracks amid a patchwork of local, state and federal law enforcement. They point to underage drinking as an example of the limited impact of age-based restrictions. State laws banning tobacco sales to those under 18 evolved over several decades and were reinforced by a federal law in 2009. The same law banned all flavors from traditional cigarettes except menthol, which received a special exception at the behest of tobacco lobbyists. More than a third of U.S. states — including California, Illinois, New York and Texas — and the District of Columbia have already raised their minimum purchase age to 21. Anti-smoking groups have tracked the trend with measured support, noting the role of Juul and Altria lobbyists behind many of the efforts. In several cases, anti-tobacco advocates have flagged provisions that they say undercut the state laws’ effectiveness. These provisions, known as pre-emption, can stop city and county officials from imposing stricter tobacco
Tim Bryce: Donald Trump doesn’t get enough credit for his philanthropy
Since declaring his candidacy for president, Donald Trump has been at odds with his Republican rivals, allegedly the RNC executive committee, political action committees, the Democrats, and particularly the media who appear to despise this political outsider. The media paint a picture of a loudmouthed, uncouth racist, who is greedy beyond words and, therefore, evil. Let me go on the record by saying you cannot be successful in business, be it large or small, by practicing racism or dirty tricks. Maybe organized crime can get away with it, but there are simply too many bureaucratic rules and regulations to allow this to happen. Besides, it doesn’t make business sense to do so. Trump’s projects as a developer and entertainer are well known and documented, but the private side is a little sketchy, making fodder for the press. So what do we truly know about Mr. Trump? First, he has repeatedly said he doesn’t smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs, nor do his offspring. Anti-smokers should love this, as should Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD). Marijuana proponents though will have a problem with his stance on drugs. He also loves sports, which most red-blooded American men should appreciate. We do not truly know how deeply religious he is, but he claims to be a proud Protestant, a Presbyterian to be exact. When he was younger, he was impressed by the work of Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, the acclaimed author of “The Power of Positive Thinking,” which touted “Believe in yourself!” and “Have faith in your abilities!,” lessons which Trump seems to have embraced. Then there are Trump’s philanthropic projects, which are often criticized by his antagonists. If you search the Internet, it won’t take long to compile a list of some of the charities he has contributed to, including: American Cancer Society American Diabetes Association Alliance for Lupus Research Arnold Palmer Foundation Autism Speaks Celebrity Fight Night Foundation Children with AIDS Citymeals-on-Wheels Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America David Foster Foundation The Doe Fund DoSomething.org Friends of Scotland Girl Up Institute for Implant Analysis at the Hospital for Special Surgery (which treated Trump’s parents). Jimmy Fund Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation Make A Child Smile Appeal Make-A-Wish Foundation Mississippi Animal Rescue League Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center National Network to End Domestic Violence Neurofibromatosis, Inc. New York City Police Foundation New Yorkers For Parks Operation Smile Paralyzed Veterans of America Pediatric Epilepsy Project Police Athletic League (PAL) Raising Malawi Reef Relief Ronald McDonald House of New York Smile Train St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters UNICEF United Way Vietnam Veterans Plaza in New York Wounded Warrior Project That’s 39 charities, not to mention those supported by his children, particularly The Eric Trump Foundation (ETF) which is dedicated to raising money for terminally ill children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It is my understanding that, to date, ETF has pledged nearly $28 million. Yet, Trump’s detractors in the press still portray him as Scrooge. Even if he were to donate all of his assets to charity, they would still find something wrong with his philanthropy, that he didn’t give enough. Also, there are several stories circulating about Trump’s kindness, most notably the “5 Acts of Kindness” by Trump. To paraphrase the popular article, the acts include: After three members of singer Jennifer Hudson‘s family were murdered, Trump provided a free sanctuary in Trump Tower to allow her to grieve. He also provided security to Hudson and her family to respect their privacy, all at his expense. When airlines wouldn’t help a boy with serious medical issues, Trump provided his own jet to transport him. He saved a family’s farm from going into foreclosure. When former Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi was released from a prison in Mexico last year, Trump sent him a generous check to help him restart his life. In 2013, a Buffalo, New York bus driver stopped to coax a woman from jumping off a bridge. After learning of the incident, Trump sent the bus driver $10,000 to thank him. There is also the story of a man who allegedly helped change a tire on Mr. Trump’s limousine. In gratitude, Trump and his wife sent the man’s wife a huge bouquet of flowers along with a note stating Trump paid off their mortgage. These are the stories the press has been made aware of; there may be many others. The fact is, we know Trump is capable of kindness. It certainly does not jibe with the press’ depiction of Trump as a tyrannical ogre. He is hardly the heartless heathen the media characterizes him as. Donald Trump is a tough businessman who relishes success, and rightfully so. That’s what capitalism is all about. However, there is nothing requiring him or anyone else to help others, but he does so willingly as he has demonstrated on several occasions. Regardless of what his detractors say, there is nothing to dispute his religion, his philanthropic projects, and his acts of kindness. If the anti-Trump people are even half correct about his contributions, he is still a generous philanthropist. • • • Tim Bryce is a freelance writer in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.
