Susan Etter Promoted to President of Professional Program Insurance Brokerage

Professional Program Insurance Brokerage (PPIB) announces that Susan Etter has been promoted to President. In this role Susan will oversee and manage all daily operations of PPIB. The move coincides with the promotion of PPIB founder and current President, Susan Preston, to Vice President of Program Development for Specialty Program Group, PPIB’s parent company. Susan… Continue reading Susan Etter Promoted to President of Professional Program Insurance Brokerage

Ballot Measure to Legalize Marijuana Passes in New Jersey

Purchasing legal marijuana at a local dispensary using my card as a method of contactless payment.

New Jersey voters approved a ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana, setting the stage for a new market for cannabis in the Northeast. The successful ballot measure adds an amendment to the state constitution allowing people ages 21 and older to use marijuana. The amendment also allows the state to set up a regulated market to… Continue reading Ballot Measure to Legalize Marijuana Passes in New Jersey

Juul Disregarded Early Evidence It Was Hooking Teens

Close-up of a young woman exhaling smoke vapour from an electronic cigarette, holding the device in her hand. Shot at home, indoors.

The San Francisco startup that invented the groundbreaking Juul e-cigarette had a central goal during its development: captivating users with the first hit. The company had concluded that consumers had largely rejected earlier e-cigarettes, former employees told Reuters, because the devices either failed to deliver enough nicotine or delivered it with a harsh taste. Developers… Continue reading Juul Disregarded Early Evidence It Was Hooking Teens

Juul Halts Sales of Fruit, Dessert Flavors for E-Cigarettes, Will Continue Sale of Most Popular Flavors

Close-up of a young woman exhaling smoke vapour from an electronic cigarette, holding the device in her hand. Shot at home, indoors.

Juul Labs will stop selling fruit and dessert flavors for its electronic cigarettes. The voluntary step announced Thursday is the company’s latest concession as it tries to weather a political backlash blaming its flavored-nicotine products for hooking a generation of teenagers. The move is unlikely to satisfy the company’s critics. Juul will continue selling its… Continue reading Juul Halts Sales of Fruit, Dessert Flavors for E-Cigarettes, Will Continue Sale of Most Popular Flavors

Occupational Medical Society Urges U.S. Congress to Consider the Implications for Workplace Safety if Marijuana Is Legalized

Detailed texture backround of cannabis flower for dispensary in clear jugs

Marijuana is an impairing substance and its legalization has huge public and workplace health implications. Before passing any legislation legalizing this substance, the U.S. Congress should proceed deliberately and consider workplace safety when dealing with this complex issue, according to a statement released by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the nation’s… Continue reading Occupational Medical Society Urges U.S. Congress to Consider the Implications for Workplace Safety if Marijuana Is Legalized

Prudential to Start Charging Same Insurance Rates to Vapers as Traditional Smokers

Smoking electronic cigarette. Shallow DOF. Developed from RAW; retouched with special care and attention; Small amount of grain added for best final impression. 16 bit Adobe RGB color profile.

A change is coming to some people’s life and health insurance policies that will make them more expensive. Prudential recently announced it will consider e-cigarette users the same as traditional smokers. Smokers pay on average about 50% more per year for life insurance. Depending on the policy, that’s between $350 and $800 more. Some other… Continue reading Prudential to Start Charging Same Insurance Rates to Vapers as Traditional Smokers

Juul Is Sued by School Districts that Say Vaping Is a Dangerous Drain on Their Resources

A woman is holding a Juul e-cigarette, in Montreal.

With school districts across the United States scrambling to reverse the rise of vaping among teenagers, three of them on Monday filed suit against Juul, the e-cigarette manufacturer, accusing it of endangering students and forcing educators to divert time and money to fight an epidemic of nicotine addiction. The school systems in St. Charles, Mo.,… Continue reading Juul Is Sued by School Districts that Say Vaping Is a Dangerous Drain on Their Resources

Vaping-Linked Lung Injury Kills 18, Sickens 1,080 in U.S. Outbreak

Smoking electronic cigarette. Shallow DOF. Developed from RAW; retouched with special care and attention; Small amount of grain added for best final impression. 16 bit Adobe RGB color profile.

Eighteen people have died from illnesses associated with e-cigarette use since March, US health authorities said Thursday, while more than a thousand others have suffered probable lung injuries linked to vaping. Officials have yet to identify the cause for the outbreak, which dates back to late March, and are pursuing multiple lines of investigation. A… Continue reading Vaping-Linked Lung Injury Kills 18, Sickens 1,080 in U.S. Outbreak

Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Rise 52%, CDC Says

Close-up of a young woman exhaling smoke vapour from an electronic cigarette, holding the device in her hand. Shot at home, indoors.

The number of confirmed or probable cases of vaping-related illness has risen to 805 across 46 states and one U.S. territory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday, as health authorities urge people to stop using electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices while it investigates a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to… Continue reading Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Rise 52%, CDC Says

CDC Steps Up Investigation into Vaping, E-Cigarettes

Close-up of a young woman exhaling smoke vapour from an electronic cigarette, holding the device in her hand. Shot at home, indoors.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to enhance the inter-agency response to the current investigation into cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette product use, or vaping. “CDC has made it a priority to find out what is causing this outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-related… Continue reading CDC Steps Up Investigation into Vaping, E-Cigarettes