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United Airlines grounds Airbus A321neo fleet over antiquated no smoking sign law
United Airlines has grounded a fleet of planes due to a 1990 that requires all no smoking signs to be operated by the crew. These aircraft have software that automatically turn the sign on during flights.
Kamado Joe unveils a WiFi-connected pellet version of its popular ceramic grill
Kamado Joe has combined the efficiency of ceramic grills with the ease of wood pellets in a new WiFi-connected model.
How Weber used decades of expertise to improve smart grilling
The Weber Kettle is arguably the most iconic grill of all time. There are other companies that have made a name for themselves with novel designs and features. But when you think about charcoal grills, I'll bet the kettle shape Weber pioneered comes to mind. I would argue that overall design is timeless. Invented by George Stephen in 1952, the first model was inspired by the shape of a buoy. Stephen worked at Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago at the time -- where the company gets its name (which technically is Weber-Stephen). Stephen discovered that a rounded bowl and a removable lid could drastically improve grill performance. So he cut the top off of a buoy, attached legs to the bottom and a handle on the top. The Weber Kettle was born.
Weber Connect will be a useful tool for grillers of all skill levels
If you haven't been keeping up with the latest in backyard-barbecue news, Weber is tackling smart and connected grilling in a big way this year. The company announced its WiFi-enabled SmokeFire pellet grills back in November, which will be available later this month. This week at CES, it debuted the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub: a standalone device that can equip any grill with Bluetooth and WiFi smarts. Both of those products tap into Weber Connect, a powerful mobile app that will help grillers and aspiring pitmasters of all skill levels cook without worrying they might ruin dinner.
Congress is raising the minimum smoking and vaping age to 21
Congress just raised the legal age to smoke or vape to 21, BuzzFeed News reports. The law will go into effect sometime next year, and it will cover all nicotine products.
Facebook, Instagram ban influencers from promoting guns and vaping
Facebook and Instagram already ban ads for guns and e-cigarettes, but now they're shutting down a loophole that let merchants pitch the products regardless. The social networks have announced that they're banning "branded content" (read: influencer posting) that promotes weapons, tobacco and vaping. You'll also see "special restrictions" on posts that market products like alcohol and diet supplements.
Vape brand Juul is reportedly at the center of a criminal probe
E-cigarette maker Juul is in trouble again. According to The Wall Street Journal, people familiar with the matter say that the company is the subject of a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in California. It's not yet been revealed what the focus of the investigation is, although sources say it's still in its early stages.
FDA targets teens with e-cigarette prevention ads
Today, the FDA launched its first e-cigarette prevention TV ads. Part of "The Real Cost" campaign, they're meant to educate teens on the dangers of e-cigarette use. The ads will target nearly 10.7 million teens, aged 12 to 17, who have used e-cigarettes or are open to trying them. The short clips feature street magician Julius Dein, who turns a vape pen into a cigarette before onlookers. The trick is supposed to highlight the fact that teens who vape are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.
Netflix says its originals will kick their smoking habit
Future Netflix original shows rated TV-14 or lower and movies rated PG-13 or below will no longer include depictions of smoking or e-cigarette use, except in cases of historical or factual accuracy. The service will also avoid showing smoking or e-cigarette use in more adult-orientated projects "unless it's essential to the creative vision of the artist or because it's character-defining (historically or culturally important)," it told Variety.
The FDA thinks an Xbox game can stop kids smoking
The FDA is behind a horror video game designed to teach teens about the dangers of smoking. Inspired by the statistic that three out of every four high school students who start smoking continue on to adulthood, One Leaves sets players in a cell with three other teens. The free PC and Xbox One game's objective is to escape the cell, but only one of the players will succeed. The game is being released as part of the FDA's "The Real Cost" youth tobacco prevention campaign, which is aimed at youth who are 12 to 17 years of age.
San Francisco lawmakers will consider a ban on e-cigarette sales
Authorities in San Francisco are considering banning the sale of e-cigarettes until the FDA carries out an investigation on their effects on health. Officials from the city -- which has already banned the sale of flavored tobacco and flavored vaping liquid -- said such a review should have been completed before e-cigarettes entered the market.
This medical kit increases your odds of quitting smoking
The company trying to solve erectile dysfunction (ED) with technology is doing the same to help folks quit smoking. Ro has launched the Zero Quit Kit that uses multiple strategies and end-to-end services to give smokers a better chance to kick their habit.
Study says e-cigarettes increase risk of cancer and heart disease
Regulators may have had a change of heart about the danger of using e-cigarettes, but scientists would beg to differ. A newly published New York University School of Medicine study indicates that vaping may put you at a "higher risk" of cancer and heart disease. Mice subjected to the equivalent of "light" e-cigarette smoking for 10 years (12 weeks in reality) suffered DNA damage to their bladders, hearts and lungs, in addition to limiting both DNA repair and lung proteins. In short: nicotine can become a carcinogen in your body regardless of how it's transmitted.
UK health body: Don’t treat vaping like smoking
Public Health England has recommended a lighter approach to e-cigarette rules and regulations in order to support vaping as a means of quitting regular cancer sticks. The body has published its new Tobacco Control Plan, which sets out the various ways it will help people kick the habit, with one of the primary goals to reduce the number of adults in England who smoke from 15.5 percent to 12 percent or less by 2022. Data would suggest e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than normal smokes in the long-term, leading Public Health England to recommend we don't create barriers that stop people making the switch.
Philip Morris submits a tobacco vaporizer for FDA approval
Philip Morris, maker of Marlboro cigarettes, submitted an application to the FDA on Tuesday seeking approval for its new tobacco vaporizer. The iQOS device, as it's currently called, works on the same principle as the Pax, wherein the ground plant matter is gently heated until the active ingredients are vaporized, rather than burned with an open flame. Philip Morris claims that the vapor has 90 percent fewer harmful chemicals than normal cigarette smoke.
Smoking triggers hundreds of DNA mutations every year
You know that smoking is bad for your health. However, scientists have just shed additional light on how those toxic chemicals can wreck your body. A newly published study has determined that a pack-a-day smoker typically produces 333 DNA mutations per year, and only about half of them (150) are in the lungs. There are also mutations in the larynx (97), pharynx (39), mouth (23), bladder (18) and liver (6). Many of those mutations are harmless, but you're effectively rolling the dice with every year that you puff -- you're triggering a "cascade" of gene damage that could lead to cancer.
Study identifies two new carcinogens in e-cigarette vapor
Most people won't dispute the claim that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional smokes, but evidence is rapidly mounting that vaping isn't exactly good for you, either. Numerous studies have found toxic chemicals and carcinogens in e-cigarette vapor -- but a new study shows that the age, type and temperature of the vaporizer can effect just how toxic its emissions are. Researchers have also identified two previously unreported cancer-causing chemicals present in most e-cigarette liquid.
UK doctors say smokers should be encouraged to use e-cigarettes
If the British public needed reassurance that e-cigarettes are healthier than traditional smoking, a new report from Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has done just that. In a 200-page document, leading UK doctors have moved to quash the "increasingly common misconception" that vaping is dangerous and said that smokers should be "reassured and encouraged" to switch to e-cigarettes.
The best portable vaporizer for most people
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After looking at 30 top models and testing eight, we chose the Grenco Science G Pen Elite as our favorite vaporizer for under $200. This pint-sized vaporizer produces vapor that will convert any smoker and is easy to use, thanks to high-end features like a combination of convection and conduction heating in a ceramic chamber, precision temperature control, a clear display, and Micro-USB charging.
Wales to ban e-cigarettes in public places
While the debate over the risks of e-cigarettes continues to rage on, some governments aren't taking any chances and have enforced new rules to limit their use. Belgium and Spain have already introduced public bans, and now Wales is planning to do the same. The Welsh Government today announced that it will seek to prohibit vaping in "enclosed public spaces" as part of a new Public Health Bill designed to "protect the health and wellbeing" of people living in the country.
