Trump Vows to Save Flavored Vaping Products if Elected
Former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump pledged to save flavored vaping products if he wins the upcoming election. In a post on his Truth Social account on Friday, Trump declared, “I saved Flavored Vaping in 2019, and it greatly helped people get off smoking. I raised the age to 21, keeping it away from the ‘kids.’ Kamala and Joe want everything banned, killing small businesses all over the Country. I’ll save Vaping again.”
During his first term, the Trump administration implemented a limited ban on flavored e-cigarettes. This decision came after Trump initially promised to ban all flavored vaping products from gas stations and convenience stores but later reversed his stance in a tweet, suggesting that vaping could help people quit smoking.
In November 2019, Trump met with various stakeholders, including public health groups, tobacco industry CEOs, and vaping advocates. His proposal banned the sale of all sweet and fruity flavored vape pods and cartridges within 30 days but allowed gas stations and convenience stores to continue selling menthol cartridges and vapes. The proposal also permitted vape shops to sell a wide range of e-cigarette liquids in open-tank vaping systems, which are commonly used by adults.
Free market advocates, small business vape shop owners, and vape-makers supported the proposal. However, anti-tobacco advocates accused Trump of caving, with Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, stating, “It is a capitulation to both Juul and vape shops and gives a green light to the e-cigarette industry to continue to target and addict kids with flavored products.”
As California attorney general, Vice President Kamala Harris supported a bill that aimed to keep electronic cigarettes away from minors.
Trump’s latest announcement marks a shift from his position on vape products during his presidency. In 2019, he called vaping a “problem,” and his administration stated that it would target all flavored vapes. In 2020, Trump revised his stance, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) barring most flavors, including fruit and mint, from unauthorized cartridge-based e-cigarettes until companies complete the premarket tobacco application (PMTA) process.
During his presidency, Trump signed legislation amending the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and raised the federal minimum age for the sale of tobacco products, including vaping devices, from 18 to 21 years.
In June, the FDA issued marketing granted orders to Njoy LLC for four menthol-flavored e-cigarette products. This announcement marks the first non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products to be authorized by the FDA, allowing them to be legally sold in the United States. However, the agency emphasized that this authorization does not mean the products are safe or FDA-approved.
News source: Trump Vows to Save Flavored Vape Products
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