Massachusetts
McCall: Mass. must get ahead of illegal vape problem
From city councils, to State Houses and federal agencies, there is growing recognition that manufacturers and distributors of illegal flavored vapes, most made in China, are undermining significant progress made to reduce youth vaping in Massachusetts.
In 2019, almost one-third of Bay State high schoolers reported vaping over the past 30 days. That is a problem because, as Dr. Mohammad Abu-Hishmeh of Massachusetts’ Baystate Medical Center noted, vaping is linked to issues ranging from asthma attacks to weakened immune systems. That is why the Massachusetts legislature banned the sale of illegal flavored vapes in 2019. Manufacturers marketed those products, in flavors such as bubble gum and raspberry, to appeal to teenagers, fueling most of Massachusetts’ underage use of these products.
Youth use of tobacco products in any form – including e-cigarettes – is unsafe. Nicotine poses unique dangers to young people. In addition to being highly addictive, nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain, which continues to develop until about age 25, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Young people who use nicotine may also be at risk for addiction to other drugs.
As a former Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I am well versed in the multifaceted efforts taken by multiple local, state, and federal government agencies to stem the flow of these harmful products. Much like the fentanyl crisis, these vapes represent a serious public health threat. They often have dangerous, undisclosed chemicals and manufacturing practices that ignore U.S. safety standards. Reports have also shown that many Chinese-made vaping devices contain harmful toxins, including heavy metals and carcinogens, that can severely harm users.
Unfortunately, China’s e-cigarette industry has experienced significant growth even though both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibit their sale. In 2021, the market size reached approximately 116 billion yuan, a more than 500% increase over the past few years. Projections indicate that this figure may have doubled this year.
What’s more, the vape lobby — hungry for more profits — is working overtime to reverse this ban. As such, in September, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell led over 20 other state attorneys general to file a Supreme Court amicus brief with her urging the justices to uphold the FDA’s ban on the sale of these illegal flavored vapes.
The FDA has taken steps to protect American users by approving a very few specific, American-made devices for sale to U.S. adults. However, rather than maintain these safeguards for the citizenry, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is now considering banning most of these products from the market, effectively handing the multi-billion-dollar industry over to unregulated Chinese manufacturers.
That would be tantamount to ordering the closure of American-made pharmaceutical companies, allowing China to create a monopoly for its illegally trafficked fentanyl. It makes no sense. Should the ITC decide to move in this direction, Massachusetts residents would lose healthier smoking alternatives that have helped them quit nicotine, and Massachusetts local, state, and federal law enforcement officials will have a far more challenging time keeping dangerous illegal vaping products off Massachusetts store shelves. An ITC ban on said U.S. vaping products could have serious ramifications.
Luckily for the people of Massachusetts, Democratic Rep. Richard Neal has not only been an outspoken advocate for families who have suffered from the fentanyl crisis but also supports protecting children from unregulated e-cigarettes. He also serves as the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over trade issues. The ITC falls immediately under his authority.
The stakes could not be higher. From fentanyl to unregulated vaping products, the American people are already paying the price for China’s reckless disregard for health and safety. They don’t need this problem to get worse with a shortsighted ban on U.S.-made, FDA-approved products.
Now is the time for leaders like Neal to step forward and ensure that American-made products vetted for safety are protected from unfair competition. Neal’s leadership could help turn the tide, safeguard Massachusetts’ families and strike a blow against China’s dangerous trade practices. His leadership is needed now more than ever.
Michael McCall is an Adjunct Professor of Forensic Accounting, Boston College, Bridgewater State University, and Stonehill College, and a Former Special Agent, FBI
Police shot and killed a man who officials say rushed officers with a knife during a call in Lexington, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the situation started around 1:40 p.m. when Lexington police received a 911 call from a resident of Mason Street reporting that his son had injured himself with a knife.
Officers from the Lexington Police Department and officers from the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), who were already in town for Patriots’ Day events, responded to the call.
Police were able to escort two other residents out of the home, initially leaving a 26-year-old man inside. According to Ryan, while officers were setting up outside, the man ran out of the home and approached officers with a large kitchen knife.
She added that police tried twice to use non-lethal force, but it was not effective in stopping him. The man was shot by a Wilmington police officer who is a member of NEMLEC. The man was pronounced dead on scene and the officer who fired that shot was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
The man’s name has not been released.
Ryan said typically in a call like this where someone was described as harming themselves, officers would first try to separate anyone else to keep them out of danger, which was done, and then standard practice would be to try to wait outside.
“It would be their practice to just wait for the person to come out. In the terrible circumstances of today, he suddenly rushed the officers, still clutching the knife,” Ryan said.
The investigation is still in the preliminary stages and more information is expected in time. Ryan said her office will request a formal inquest from the court to review whether any criminal conduct has occurred, which is the standard process.
This happened around the same time as the annual Patriots’ Day Parade, and just hours after a reenactment of the Battle of Lexington, which drew large crowds to town.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Massachusetts
‘An impossible choice’: With little federal help to combat rising costs, Head Start looks to Massachusetts for more help – The Boston Globe
In Massachusetts, roughly 1,300 slots for children across Head Start’s 28 agencies have been eliminated in the last three years because federal funding has plateaued over that time, while the cost of running the program continues to rise, according to the Massachusetts Head Start Association. Nationally, Head Start enrollment dropped from 1.1 million kids in 2013 to around 785,000 in 2022, according to research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“If they didn’t get into a Head Start program, they would be sitting at home,” said Brittany Acosta, a Head Start parent in Dorchester.
It’s teachers are drastically underpaid, and there’s a serious need for a rainy day-type fund should the federal government shut down again, the association says. As they’ve done in years past, state lawmakers have offered to provide financial relief, but the Massachusetts Head Start Association’s request for 3 percent above the amount it received last year, an additional $4.6 million to help its staff keep up with the state’s rising cost of living, so far has not been allocated.
Last year, President Trump’s leaked budget proposal revealed he considered eliminating Head Start entirely. Then, in the summer, he cut off Head Start enrollment for immigrants without legal status. And during the fall’s government shutdown, four Head Start centers in Massachusetts closed because they couldn’t access their funding.
Trump’s latest budget proposal shows a fourth year without increasing funding for the program, which was established in the mid-1960s.
Michelle Haimowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association, said the program doesn’t want to eliminate more child slots than it already has, but paying teachers a competitive salary is equally important in order to keep them from leaving for higher paying jobs. Head Start teachers make under $50,000 annually compared to over $85,000 for the average Massachusetts kindergarten teacher.
“It’s an impossible choice,” Haimowitz said. “When we reduce the size of our programs, we’re not reducing the size of the need.”
Massachusetts is one of few states that supplements federal funding for Head Start, and last year it increased the program’s state grant from $5 million to $20 million, adding to the $189 million in federal aid it receives in this state.
“We can’t run a program without giving staff a raise for three years,” Haimowitz said. “Our next fight now is not just for survival, but it’s for thriving and growth.”
The Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday released its budget, which doesn’t grant Head Start’s request of a 3 percent boost. But state Representative Christopher Worrell filed an amendment for additional funding. Worrell, whose district covers parts of Dorchester and Roxbury, said he loves Head Start’s embrace of culture, recalling one visit to a center where he could smell staff cooking stew chicken, a traditional Caribbean dish.
“I’ve been to dozens of schools throughout the district, and you don’t get that home-cooked meal,” Worrell said. “[The state is] stepping up and doing the best we can with what we have.”
At the Action for Boston Community Development’s Head Start and Early Head Start center in Dorchester, the children of Classroom 7 arrived one Monday morning and dove into bins of magnetic tiles before their teachers, Paola Polanco and Leolina Rasundar Chinnappa, served breakfast. Acosta dropped off her 4-year-old daughter, Violeta, before reporting to her teaching position at the center, where several other Head Start parents also work.
“It’s important for all Head Start parents to have the opportunity to give their child an experience in a learning environment before they actually start kindergarten,” Acosta said.
Beyond providing early education and care to children of low-income families, from birth to age 5, the program helps them access other resources, including mental health services, SNAP benefits, homelessness assistance, and employment opportunities.
It also serves as daycare for parents who might not be able to afford it, while they’re at work.
Research has shown the importance of preschool in a child’s development with one 2023 study, focused on Boston public preschools, finding that it improves student behavior and increases the likelihood of high school graduation and college enrollment.
For Rickencia Clerveaux and Christopher Mclean, the Dorchester Head Start center is the only place they feel comfortable sending their 3-year-old son, Shontz, who is on the autism spectrum. Shontz’s stimming — repetitive movements that stimulate the senses — has reduced, and his speech has improved since he joined the center in 2024, Clerveaux said.
His parents say he’s also come out of his shell. Mclean now drops his son off and gets a simple “bye” as Shontz joins his classmates, he said.
He and Clerveaux said they appreciate the specialized attention Shontz can receive from teachers, such as when staff identified that Shontz might have hearing issues. His parents were able to follow up with their doctor and get Shontz to have surgery to improve his hearing.
“It’s a safe net for parents,” Clerveaux said. “There’s so many ways that him being here helps him grow better.”
Without Head Start, Clerveaux said a lot of pressure would be put on parents to find care for their children, “knowing that they’re already struggling or not getting the ends to meet.”
“That’s a burden for everybody in the community,” she said. “If there’s no funding, there’s no daycare and parents cannot work.”
Lauren Albano can be reached at lauren.albano@globe.com. Follow her on X @LaurenAlbano_.
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