Vaping Flavor Ban Back on Table as FDA Hands Trump New Plan
On Monday, the White House received new guidance from the Food and Drug Administration on a potential ban of flavored vapes.
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump could be a step closer to making a decision on whether to ban flavors of e-cigarettes like mango and mint in the U.S. after wavering on the issue for months.
On Monday, the White House received new guidance from the Food and Drug Administration on a potential ban of flavored vapes, according to the website of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. A previous submission by the FDA was scrapped by Trump last month.
Anything short of a ban on nearly all flavors is likely to enrage medical and family groups who warn of an epidemic of teen addiction. On the other hand, conservative and business groups say any wide ban would shutter stores, cost jobs and drive adults to smoke instead. Trump’s political advisers are also wary of alienating voters during his re-election bid.
In September, Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced they would ban all flavors except tobacco, a significant decision that health groups cheered. But Trump watered down his pledge soon after, and later called it merely a “suggestion.”
During a tense meeting at the White House last month, proponents and opponents of flavored vaping products openly argued with each other in front of the president and reporters invited to observe.
After listening to several of the participants, Trump said that he wanted to “do something for everybody, where everybody’s happy.”
Matthew Myers, chief executive officer of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said Trump’s original vow to implement an broad ban on flavors is the key to resolving the surge in youth vaping.
“As long as flavored e-cigarettes remain available, kids will find ways to get them and this epidemic will continue to get worse,” Myers said in an emailed statement.
The public-health advocacy group Truth Initiative didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Paul Blair, director of strategic initiatives at Americans for Tax Reform and a proponent of e-cigarettes, said the FDA’s latest submission is another chance for the Trump administration to re-evaluate the potential harm to the $9 billion vaping industry.
A ban “would be the single dumbest regulatory decision of the Trump Administration,” Blair said.
The FDA said it couldn’t comment on the guidance until it’s published, and HHS said there are no updates available.
--With assistance from Josh Wingrove.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gerald Porter Jr. in New York at gporter30@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Drew Armstrong at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net
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