Did president Trump just soften on e-cigarettes?
Just two months ago, President Donald Trump responded to the growing health crisis fueled by e-cigarette use, particularly among teens, by calling for a ban on flavored vaping products. Six weeks later, however, Trump indicated—without giving his reasoning—a softening in his stance on e-cigarettes.
Will the FDA ban menthol vaping products?
At that time, Trump said his administration would remove all flavored vaping products, including menthol, from the market until they received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Are flavored e-cigarettes being banned in the United States?
T he Trump Administration on Jan. 2 announced that it will remove some—but not all—flavored e-cigarette products from the U.S. market, in a compromise that has sparked criticism from both vaping advocates and adversaries.
What would a total flavor ban mean for the vape industry?
A Vapor Technology Association report from November 2019 estimated that a total flavor ban would have resulted in 150,000 lost jobs and $8.4 billion in lost sales. The conservative advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, in a statement provided to TIME, called Trump’s new policy “a compromise but not a complete victory.”
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Why are e-cigarettes illegal?
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said all e-cigarette products currently on the market are illegal because they haven't applied for approval through proper FDA channels. He said the agency allowed them to be sold to see if they could serve as an effective "off-ramp" for adults addicted to combustible cigarettes but the concern about increasing rates of young people using e-cigarettes has grown enough to warrant more restrictions.
When did Trump talk to Alex Azar?
President Donald Trump speaks to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during a listening session on youth vaping and the electronic cigarette epidemic inside the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Nov. 22, 2019.
Is vaping banned in the US?
The Trump administration on Thursday said it will effectively ban all flavors of vaping cartridges except menthol and tobacco, a step back from previous plans to ban all flavors in an effort to stem rising rates of youth nicotine use attributed partly to their appeal.
Who has the authority to evaluate new tobacco products?
Under federal tobacco laws the FDA has the authority to evaluate new tobacco products and determine if they have a public health role as an alternative to cigarettes or should be subject to restrictions in where they can be sold or advertised. Tobacco companies and e-cigarette manufacturers have until May of this year to submit applications to have their products approved by FDA.
Is e-cigarettes an off-ramp?
But e-cigarettes as an off-ramp from addiction must not come at the expense of these cigarette becoming an on-ramp for addiction for a new generation of children, which is what is occurring today," Azar said on a call with reporters.
Can e-cigarettes cause lungs to hurt?
But Azar reiterated Thursday that the Centers for Disease Control found most of those illnesses were cases where people used e-cigarettes with THC adulterated with vitamin E acetate, which can damage the lungs when inhaled, and are not attributed to the products that would be affected by the new policy.
Is Juul a one time use?
But Thursday's announcement took a significant step back from the full ban proposed last year. The administration will move to remove from the market one-time use flavored pods used in e-cigarettes like Juul that are popular among young people. The new policy will not target vaping liquids used in other models to be sold in adult-only vape shops.
How many jobs would be lost if vaping flavors were removed?
A Vapor Technology Association report from November 2019 estimated that a total flavor ban would have resulted in 150,000 lost jobs and $8.4 billion in lost sales.
When will the legal age for vaping be raised?
The policy, which follows a newly signed law that raises the legal purchasing age for tobacco and vaping products to 21, is less drastic than a plan President Donald Trump announced in September 2019. At that time, Trump said his administration would remove all flavored vaping products, including menthol, from the market until they received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
What is the new e-cigarette policy?
Under the policy, companies will be prohibited from selling e-liquids in fruit, dessert and mint flavors, leaving only menthol and tobacco products on the market.
When will e-cigarettes be available for FDA approval?
In addition, makers of all e-cigarette products that were on the market by 2016 have until May 2020 to apply for FDA authorization. If companies can prove that their flavored products are appropriate for the protection of public health and secure FDA authorization, they may return to the market—a possibility that Trump said he would welcome.
Does Juul sell mint?
Juul has already stopped selling its mint, fruit and dessert flavors. A spokesperson said in a statement provided to TIME that the company “refrained from lobbying the Administration on its draft flavor guidance and pledged to support the final policy. We fully understand the urgent need to continue resetting the vapor category and earn trust as we combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.”
What flavors are banned in vaping?
At the time, he said the flavor ban “would include mint and menthol .”
What flavor of vape do high schoolers use?
About two-thirds of high school students who vape use menthol or mint flavors, making them nearly as popular as fruity flavors, according to this year’s National Youth Tobacco Survey. Alex Azar, the secretary of Health and Human Services, announced the administration’s intent to limit vaping flavors in September.
How long does it take for flavored e-cigarette fluid to be removed from the market?
A draft of the proposed rule stated that any flavored e-cigarette fluid would have to be removed from the market within 90 days. Regulators cited copious evidence for the move. For instance, in a 2014 survey that asked young people who vaped why they did it, more than 80% marked the answer, “It comes in flavors I like.”
How long has Juul been around?
Documents reviewed by The Times reveal that the chemical formula that makes Juul so palatable and addictive dates back more than four decades — to Reynolds’ tobacco laboratories.
How long did it take to get rid of flavored e-cigarettes?
In just 46 days, over 100 tobacco advocates helped nix the ban on flavored e-cigarettes that might have prevented addiction in teens. Here’s how.
What did the demonstrators say at the Mar-a-Lago rally?
As the presidential motorcade returned to Mar-a-Lago from a golf course on Thursday afternoon, dozens of demonstrators chanted, “We vape! We vote!”
Does Juul sell mint?
The company suspended nationwide sales of sweet flavors like mango and cucumber in October, then added mint to the list in November. It still sells menthol pods.
What company pulled flavored e-cigarettes from shelves?
After Trump came out in favor of a ban, Juul , the biggest e-cigarette maker, said it would pull its flavored products from the shelves, would stop its marketing campaign accused of targeting minors, and would refrain from lobbying against the ban.
How did Trump respond to the growing health crisis fueled by e-cigarette use?
Just two months ago, President Donald Trump responded to the growing health crisis fueled by e-cigarette use, particularly among teens, by calling for a ban on flavored vaping products. Six weeks later, however, Trump indicated—without giving his reasoning—a softening in his stance on e-cigarettes. Now, just over two months after his initial ...
How long did it take for e-cigarettes to be banned?
The ban, which would have cleared candy-, fruit-, and mint-flavored e-cigarettes used by some 5 million American teenagers off the shelves in 30 days, had already been vetted and cleared by federal regulators at that point.
