Kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors driving increase in sales, report finds

Kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors driving increase in sales, report finds
Diego Cervo/EyeEm/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — E-cigarettes in kid-friendly flavors are driving retail sales and contain more addictive nicotine than ever, according to a new report from the nonprofit CDC Foundation and advocacy group Truth Initiative.

The report showed a 47% increase in e-cigarette sales at U.S. retail outlets between 2019 and 2023, with flavors like fruit, candy, mint, menthol and desserts accounting for more than 80% of those sales.

Most flavored products are not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and are therefore on the market illegally, according to Truth Initiative.

Vaping among youth is declining in the U.S., but more than 1.6 million children still vape, and nearly 90% of them report using flavored products, according to the report.

States that have implemented strong enforcement policies have seen a dramatic drop in sales. Massachusetts, for example, saw an 86% drop in overall e-cigarette sales in brick-and-mortar stores, the report said.

The proliferation of kid-friendly flavored vapes is not authorized by the FDA to be in stores, making the booming sales technically illegal — but that could change if the industry succeeds in a major case before the U.S. Supreme Court next month.

Vape makers have sued the FDA, which has blocked the sale and marketing of most flavored products, alleging the agency is stonewalling good science and common sense. They claim flavors like “Jimmy the Juice Man” and “Iced Pineapple Express” are ideal for helping adult smokers quit a cancer-causing habit.

The Supreme Court will delve into the science during arguments on Dec. 2 and decide next year whether the FDA analysis has been flawed and unfair, potentially opening the flood gates to widespread legal production and sale of flavored nicotine products.

There has been a major decline in the number of students who reported current e-cigarette use, according to federal data released last month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey.

The number of users was 2.13 million in 2023 compared to 1.63 million in 2024, the report found. Usage among high school students in particular dropped to 1.56 million from 1.21 million over the same period.

ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.

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At least 11 injured in explosion at manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kentucky: Police
At least 11 injured in explosion at manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kentucky: Police
WHAS

(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — At least 11 people were reported injured in an explosion at a manufacturing facility in Louisville, Kentucky, police said.

A “hazardous materials incident” was reported Tuesday afternoon at the address of a Givaudan Sense Colour facility, according to the Louisville Metro Emergency Services.

The cause of the explosion, which occurred around 3 p.m. local time, is unknown at this time, officials said.

All those injured are employees of Givaudan Sense Colour, a natural food coloring plant, officials said.

One person who was trapped following the explosion was rescued, while several others were evacuated, officials said.

No fatalities have been reported in the incident.

Residents within two blocks of the facility, located at 1901 Payne St., have been evacuated, officials said.

A shelter-in-place order was also issued for those within a 1-mile radius of the facility but it has since been lifted, officials said.

Agents with Louisville’s division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are responding and assisting with the “critical incident,” the agency said.

Air monitoring is clear at this time, officials said.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear urged those in the area to follow guidance from local officials “while responders work to secure the area” and said he is “praying for the safety of all involved.”

Givaudan Sense Colour makes colors used in food, and other applications, according to its website.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Woman and husband charged in plot to murder man she was having an affair with
Woman and husband charged in plot to murder man she was having an affair with
Houston Police Department

(HOUSTON, TX) — A couple has been arrested and charged for attempting to kidnap and kill a man the wife was having an affair with in Texas.

The victim, who told an ABC News’ Houston affiliate he would not like to be named due to fears over his safety, was shot twice and is now recovering.

Hana Ahmad Alolaimi, 35, and Omar Mahmoud Bishtawi, 48, were charged with aggravated assault and aggravated attempted kidnapping on Sunday, according to court records.

Alolaimi and the victim, who were both married to other people, were in a relationship. When the victim’s wife found out about the relationship he broke it off, according to court documents.

Alolaimi and Bishtawi then conspired to kidnap and kill the victim, according to court documents.

When the victim went into a Chick-fil-A, Alolaimi allegedly parked her vehicle next to his. When the victim came out, she gestured for him to come over, according to court documents.

Once he was in the car, Alolaimi tried to drive off with the victim, although he had told her he could not leave with her. Bishtawi then jumped out from under a curtain in the back seat of the car and put the victim in a chokehold, pressing a firearm against his head, according to court documents.

When the victim tried to get away Bishtawi shot him twice, including once in the thigh, according to court documents. The victim could have died from the thigh wound if he was not transported to the hospital in time, according to court documents.

Alolaimi and Bishtawi provided investigators with conflicting statements and investigators believe there are concerns for the future safety of the victim, according to court documents.

The victim said he ended the relationship three months ago because it turned toxic. But, Alolaimi wouldn’t leave him alone, even showing up at his new apartment, he told KHOU in an interview.

The victim said after he was kidnapped, Bishtawi told him he had to die because he’d dishonored his wife.

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Drone updates: No national security risk found after many tips, FBI and other federal agencies say
Drone updates: No national security risk found after many tips, FBI and other federal agencies say
Richard Newstead/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The thousands of drone sightings reported over the last month in Northeastern states don’t appear to be “anything anomalous,” nor do they present a national security or public safety risk, federal officials said in a multiagency statement late Monday.

The FBI has received more than 5,000 tips in the last few weeks about drone sightings in New Jersey and other states, said the statement, which was released jointly by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense.

Those tips have resulted in about 100 leads, with federal investigators supporting state and local officials.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the joint statement said.

Uncrewed aerial drones have been lighting up the sky at night in New Jersey and nearby states for weeks, since about mid-November, leading to concern from residents and speculation online. Some had demanded answers from local and state officials for answers.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have deployed infrared cameras and drone detection technology to ensure the drones flying over the New Jersey and New York area aren’t harmful, according to a law enforcement source. Dozens of agencies have been out daily to find answers and track down any operators acting “illegally or with nefarious intent,” the FBI said recently.

The agencies are also looking at social media and other photos to determine what exactly is in the photos. Most of the photos and video depict manned aircraft, according to a law enforcement source.

But the newly released statement appeared to take a sober view of the mysterious drone sightings, noting that federal official have yet to identify “anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”

“That said, we recognize the concern among many communities,” the statement said. “We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement.”

ABC News’ Calvin Milliner, David Brennan, Luke Barr, Meredith Deliso, Luis Martinez, Matt Seyler, Aaron Katersky, Sarah Kolinovsky and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report.

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