John Daly

Nearly 800 people are hospitalized with it.

Dr. Jennifer Corliss is medical director at UCHealth Primary Care in Lone Tree, Colorado.

A state health department spokesperson says hospitals are adding staffing to manage the increased volume.

For NPR News, I'm John Daly in Denver.

Denver voters in November decisively passed a measure to keep a ban on flavored tobacco.

It was approved in 2024 by the city council, citing concerns about health impacts and

and youth use.

City Tobacco Program Manager Ted Montoya says the health department can issue fines and suspensions to retailers who violate the law.

Our goal is to visit every retailer in the city and county of Denver two to four times a year, and we consistently make those targets.

About 400 local governments in the U.S.

have passed restrictions on sales of flavored tobacco.

For NPR News, I'm John Daly in Denver.

British Columbia and certainly all of the lower mainland was sort of an idyllic spot. I mean, even though Vancouver was a big city, it was still like a little town.

British Columbia and certainly all of the lower mainland was sort of an idyllic spot. I mean, even though Vancouver was a big city, it was still like a little town.

I mean, kids would wander all over, go hiking and go into the back lots, go play in the park, get on their bikes. They'd go exploring, hunt for caterpillars, just go play ball. Five, ten blocks away, it was nothing. I mean, kids were all over the place and running around and enjoying themselves and basically fearless. It was happy times. People left their doors unlocked.

I mean, kids would wander all over, go hiking and go into the back lots, go play in the park, get on their bikes. They'd go exploring, hunt for caterpillars, just go play ball. Five, ten blocks away, it was nothing. I mean, kids were all over the place and running around and enjoying themselves and basically fearless. It was happy times. People left their doors unlocked.

I mean, they told me that repeatedly. But then that all changed. It was shocking that kids were disappearing. It was all across the lower mainland, you know, Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, all over. And this just hadn't happened before. And of course it was children. So it was really, really terrifying.

I mean, they told me that repeatedly. But then that all changed. It was shocking that kids were disappearing. It was all across the lower mainland, you know, Coquitlam, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster, all over. And this just hadn't happened before. And of course it was children. So it was really, really terrifying.

And the whole, all of British Columbia was basically seized with this fear and dread. And parents had to figure out whether or not to take their kids to school, keep them in after school. Kids wanted to go hang out at the mall. They wanted to go to the playground. And parents were basically fearful of this, and rightly so. It started with a girl from Surrey disappearing.

And the whole, all of British Columbia was basically seized with this fear and dread. And parents had to figure out whether or not to take their kids to school, keep them in after school. Kids wanted to go hang out at the mall. They wanted to go to the playground. And parents were basically fearful of this, and rightly so. It started with a girl from Surrey disappearing.