ON A JOB OUT OF TOWN.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOCAL JOB.
NEWS FROM CIGARETTES AND
TOBACCO.
BOTH WE HAVE WITH US TODAY.
ALEX AZAR, SECRETARY OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT A BAN ON
MEANT ALL CIGARETTES?
>> MENTHOL CIGARETTES, THE
MENTHOL FLAVORING AND TOBACCO IS
REALLY A VERY ATTRACTIVE AND
ADDICTIVE PROPERTY FOR
ESPECIALLY KIDS.
YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF KIDS
WHO START COMBUSTIBLE SMOKING,
THEY DO SO WITH MENTHOL FLAVORED
TOBACCO.
WHEN WE LOOK AT ADULTS, ONE
THIRD OF ADULTS WHOSE MENTHOL
FAVORITE CIGARETTES AND IT HAS A
DUST APPORTIONMENT IMPACT ON THE
UNDERSERVED.
THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT IS
ALREADY SUFFERING FROM GREAT
HEALTH DISPARITY.
WE'VE BEEN RUNNING IT PROCESS
AND REFERRED THESE CONCERNS AND
WERE GOING TO BE INITIATING A
PROCESS TO LOOK AT BANNING
MENTHOL FLAVORING OF TOBACCO.
THIS'LL BE A PUBLIC, OPEN AND
TRANSPARENT PROCESS.
IT WILL TAKE TIME AND CONSIDER A
PUBLIC HEALTH THAT THERE IS.
>> THIS IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO
YOUR ATTEMPTS TO CRACK DOWN ON
FLAVORED E. CIGARETTES.
MR. SECRETARY, YOU'VE GOT THE
NUMBERS ON TEAM USAGE OF THESE
PRODUCTS.
TELL ME MORE.
>> WE DO.
TODAY THE FDA AND CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL RELEASED DATA
THAT IS FRANKLY SHOCKING.
WE HAVE AN EPIDEMIC OF E.
CIGARETTE USE HAPPENING AMONG
OUR CHILDREN.
AMONG CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL KIDS
THERE HAS BEEN A 78% INCREASE IN
E. CIGARETTE UTILIZATION IN THE
LAST YEAR.
AMONG MIDDLE-SCHOOL KIDS, A 48%
INCREASE IN THE USE OF E.
CIGARETTES.
I HAVE SEEN THIS AS THE FATHER
OF HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.
I HAVE SEEN THIS PERSONALLY IN
MY OWN LIFE.
NOT IN MY KIDS, THANK GOD, BUT
I'VE SEEN IT IN THEIR FRIENDS
WITH USING OF THESE E.
CIGARETTES.
THEY'RE VERY AVAILABLE AND WERE
NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN.
STUART: I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO
CRACK DOWN.
I GOT BACK.
THE E. CIGARETTES WILL STILL BE
AVAILABLE IN STORES AS I
UNDERSTAND IT.
HOW DOES THAT STOP MINORS FROM
GETTING A HOLD OF THEM.
>> THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE E. CIGARETTES
ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR ATTRACTIVE
FOR USE.
E. CIGARETTES CAN SERVE AN
IMPORTANT SERVICE.
THEY CAN BE THERE FOR ADULTS WHO
ARE TRYING TO TRANSITION OFF OF
COMBUSTIBLE TOBACCO INTO MOVE TO
AN ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE DELIVERY
DEVICE AND THAT'S A GOOD PUBLIC
HEALTH SERVICE OFFERING FOR
COMBUSTIBLE TOBACCO.
WE CAN'T LET THESE BECOME AN ON
RAMP TO NICOTINE ADDICTION OR
COMBUSTIBLE TOBACCO USE BY YOUR
KIDS.
SO, WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS THESE
FLAVORED UNIT, AND THESE
FLAVORED NICOTINE DELIVERY
DEVICES THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE
IN SETTINGS WHERE KIDS CAN GET
THEM.
PARTS OF STORES OR STORES OR YOU
HAVE TO BE 18 OR OVER TO GET IN
THEM OR ONLINE WHERE YOU HAVE
SOPHISTICATED AGE VERIFICATION
PROCEDURES TO ENSURE KIDS ARE
NOT GETTING ACCESS TO THEM.
STUART: GOT IT.
MR. SECRETARY COMMUTE A COURT OF
PUBLIC HEALTH IN CALIFORNIA
BECAUSE OF THE WILDFIRES HERE IT
IS THIS ALL ABOUT TOXIC SMOKE?
>> AS PART OF IT BUT ALSO ACCESS
TO HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
DISRUPTION TO THEIR INTERACTIONS
WITH FEDERAL HEALTH CARE
PROGRAMS.
THEY ENSURE THEM THE FULL
SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND
COMBINED WITH THE DECLARATION I
DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH
EMERGENCY AND WE STAND BY READY
TO HELP WITH PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICIALS AND DISASTER EMERGENCY
MEDICAL TEAMS WHO CAN PROVIDE
THE DIAGNOSTICS AS WELL AS HELP
FOR INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS SMOKE
AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
DISPLACED AND SUPPORT FOR
MEDICAL FACILITIES AND
EVACUATION OF PATIENTS JUST LIKE
HURRICANE OR OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH
SETTING.
STUART: I WISH ALL OF OUR GUESTS