According to a report by Reuters on July 22nd, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and expressed his support for current Vice President Kamala Devi Harris to receive the party's nomination. Harris stated that she is honored to have Biden's support and her goal is to win the nomination and unite the party and the country, defeating former Republican President Trump. Subsequently, the Democratic Party in all 50 states fully support Vice President Kamala Harris to become the new presidential candidate.
It is reported that the Democratic Party plans to hold a national convention in Chicago between the 19th and 22nd of next month, with the same goal as the Republican convention, to select their presidential and vice presidential candidates. Biden's withdrawal from the race means that the Democratic Party must complete the nomination process for a new candidate in the next month. If successful, Harris will likely receive the Democratic Party's nomination without significant competition.
Protecting Children from the Influence of E-cigarettes
As Vice President, Harris first became associated with e-cigarettes during her time as Attorney General of California, when e-cigarettes had not yet garnered national attention as they did in 2019. In August 2015, she actively advocated for legislation to include e-cigarettes in laws prohibiting minors from smoking and regulating smoke-free environments.
She supports Senator Mark Leno's SBX2 5 bill, which aims to protect children and adolescents from the harmful effects of e-cigarettes. The bill specifically defines e-cigarettes as "tobacco products" and requires e-cigarettes to be sold in child-resistant packaging, ensuring that e-cigarettes are included in existing laws that prevent underage smoking and regulate smoke-free spaces.
Protecting children from nicotine addiction is crucial for public health and wise fiscal policy," Harris said. "I appreciate Senator Leno's leadership on this issue and urge legislators to approve this important legislation.
The bill prohibits smoking in workplaces, schools, daycare centers, restaurants, bars, hospitals, and public transportation. It also ensures that e-cigarettes are protected under the 1994 Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Enforcement (STAKE) Act, which has successfully reduced illegal sales of cigarettes to children. At the time of announcement, it was reported that tobacco use in California annually results in $13.29 billion in medical costs.
On the federal level, Vice President Harris is leading the Biden administration's policy on e-cigarettes with a focus on preventing and reducing youth use of e-cigarettes. She believes that protecting children from the harms of nicotine addiction is a core public health policy mission.
Support for Relaxation of Regulations on Marijuana Products
Besides the e-cigarette issue, Harris underwent a significant shift in her stance on marijuana during her tenure as Vice President.
Initially, she gained fame as a prosecutor in California for her strict opposition to marijuana, but later became an advocate for its legalization. Harris, along with others, introduced federal legislation to de-schedule marijuana and supported measures to eliminate non-violent marijuana-related crimes, in line with the Democratic Party's increasing support for marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform.
In March of this year, she publicly stated, "No one should be imprisoned for using marijuana," Harris added.
Many people are sent to prison simply for possessing marijuana.
Harris urges the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to speed up the reclassification of marijuana as less harmful than drugs like heroin. Harris said, "Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin, even more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd and blatantly unfair.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommended last year reclassifying marijuana from its current status as a "Schedule I" controlled substance to a Schedule III substance, which is considered to have a moderate potential for addiction.
Political Issues at Odds
In a previous article, titled "If Trump is re-elected: What new changes might e-cigarette regulation face?", 2FIRSTS explored the Republican candidates' views on issues such as e-cigarettes and marijuana. During his previous term, the Trump administration relaxed restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes after delaying legislation, emphasizing the need to protect small businesses and jobs in the e-cigarette industry while balancing considerations for public health and economic impact. On a legislative level, Republican senators like Rand Paul have opposed overly strict e-cigarette regulations, arguing that such measures would harm small businesses and the free market.
In addition, many Republicans, while opposing strict regulations on e-cigarettes as a form of "nanny state" behavior, also emphasize the importance of protecting minors from the dangers of e-cigarettes. For example, Georgia Senator David Perdue stated that although he does not like government overreach, protecting children's health is necessary.
Biden's nomination and Harris being pushed to the forefront have reignited enthusiasm for the Democratic party among the public, while Trump is attempting to attract voters dissatisfied with the Biden administration's policies.
According to the BBC, donations to the Democratic Party have surged since Biden announced his withdrawal from the race and Harris launched her campaign. Grassroots supporters have raised $46.7 million so far. Many senior Democratic Party members have also publicly expressed their support for Harris.
According to Reuters, Trump told American CNN that he believes if Harris secures the nomination, she would have a better chance of defeating Biden in the November election.
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