Public Health Threats: Vaping and Opioids

The misuse of opioids and e-cigarettes have become serious public health issues across the United States. On Long Island alone, the opioid epidemic is costing consumers, taxpayers, and businesses $8 billion in medical bills and lost productivity, according to a new report from the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Now, legislators across the nation are beginning to take action. New York has passed an emergency measure to ban the sale of most flavored vaping products, and a federal ban is looming.  

Meanwhile, an Oklahoma trial judge has fined Johnson & Johnson $572 million, the first time a drug company has been held responsible for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic. Most recently, Purdue Pharma, the maker of painkiller OxyContin, has filed for bankruptcy as it faces more than 2,000 lawsuits for its alleged role in the opioid crisis. 

Experts who can weigh in on the subject include:

Martine Hackett, a public health professor who can discuss how vaping and opioid misuse can adversely affect a locality, state, and nation. 

Ling Huang, a chemistry professor who studies the science and dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping.

Genevieve Weber, a licensed mental health counselor and addiction expert who can discuss treatment options and the toll that the epidemic takes on families.

Janet Dolgin, healthcare law professor and director of the Gitenstein Institute for Health Law and Policy.