Posted on 10/26/2019 4:29:34 AM PDT by Kaslin
Recently, the Trump administration took the laudable step of announcing a proposed ban on all flavored e-cigarettes in the United States. Recognizing that we are in the midst of a youth vaping epidemic, as well as the sudden explosion of vaping-related lung illnesses and deaths, the president rightly sprung into action. Flavors are a gateway to vaping, addiction, illness and even death, and by removing them from the market, we can take a serious bite out of this tragic crisis.
Predictably, vaping giant Juul, who is more than one-third owned by tobacco giant Altria, is quietly trying to chip away at the flavor ban to protect its own profits. Juul notably took pre-emptive action last week to stop selling its flavored vapor pods online. Notably, this action excludes “menthol-based” products, which includes mint and traditional menthol.
Now, the rumor mill in Washington suggests that the administration may relent and carve these flavors out of the federal regulation, clearly as a result of Big Tobacco’s pressure campaign.
If this were to happen, it would completely undermine the purpose of the flavor ban. Mint is every bit as much a flavor as mango or cotton candy. Stand at any gas station counter and watch the Juul flavors kids are buying.
The only people suggesting that mint is not a flavor, apparently, are Big Tobacco lobbyists, who have been upping their lobbying game to keep these flavors on the market. In fact, in 2018, Juul spent $1.6 million on lobbying to fight the FDA, and that number is only increasing; from April-June 2019 alone Juul spent $1.01 million – its most expensive quarter to date – to protect these flavors.
In fact, mint and menthol aren’t just flavors – they’re the flavors young people most prefer. So far this year, they have accounted for two-thirds of youth use.
They’re also highly profitable for Juul – to the tune of $2 billion annually and 70 percent of the company’s total sales. This is an existential issue for Juul, hence the quiet lobbying campaign.
So, we have a situation where the 800-pound gorilla in the e-cigarette market is pushing to reinstate the flavors most popular with youth and most profitable to its own bottom line. Yet the company claims to be a partner with the government in combating youth use. Who on earth could believe them? Is the cynical public relations move of preemptively ending sales of non-mint and menthol vapor supposed to convince us of anything? Why in the world would we trust their PR efforts at all?
Earlier this month, a number of conservative organizations released a letter supporting the president’s proposed flavor ban. In it, they wrote, “Until e-cigarette companies are willing to abide by current restrictions on youth sales and further research is conducted by the CDC and FDA regarding the health consequences associated with e-cigarettes/vaping, we approve of the Trump Administration’s decision to halt flavored e-cigarettes to protect consumers, particularly youth.”
The goal is obvious, and stated at the end of that passage: Protect consumers, particularly youth. The objective of Juul and Big Tobacco is also obvious: Protect profits, period. The Trump administration should not be duped by this shameless ploy to pad e-cigarette company profits. The Administration must stand strong, and commit to a true, all-encompassing flavor ban that protects young people.
And in the same veign, let’s all get behind that Government push to get rid of red meat, and ration salt.
Because all of those things are the same.
I think it’s great that the Trump administration is doing this for us. People shouldn’t be allowed to buy things that might be harmful.
Vaping is only harmful when people (primarily teenagers and 20somethings) use bootleg THC with the commercial cartridges.
Juul’s ‘flavors’ suck. Touch my Vuse Solo, I’ll cut your fingers off at the elbow. I also have an e-pipe that looks just like your grandaddys briar pipe, and need to smoke it more. Now, there’s satisfaction when you puff on an old-fashioned crook-necked pipe and the juice is a combination of flavors of golden Virginia tobacco, whiskey, and red apple.
I’m glad the fed is making this decision for me. I don’t have to think about as many things. /s
It’s true that the recent serious illnesses and deaths have been closely correlate with the use of non-commercial, THC-based products.
However, that’s not the same as proving that this is the only circumstance in which vaping can be harmful. It’s a fairly new technology, and we don’t know anything about potential long-term health complications, or the extent to which vaping might increase rather than decrease tobacco or marijuana use in the long run.
Please note that my original post was intended as sarcasm. I know it’s hard to tell these days. Even professional satirists get caught simply describing reality.
Exactly.
Vaping is not the health issue. Tobacco is far worse and vaping provides an alternative.
This is another area where the federal gov’t should not be involved.
Then I will make my own.
This applies to banning “Sault weapons” too.
Yeah, go back to cigarettes that are safer.
Yep.
Better raid liquor stores nationwide.
Nobody needs bubblegum flavored vodka.
Eeeeeeeeew. That’s just WRONG.
If we’re doing away with things because they are harmful to youths (which should not be available to them anyway...), what do we do about alcohol and sex?
Now we have kids smoking and vaping....and the numbers are snowballing.
Would it be “laudable” - the author’s word - if the Trump administration noticed that sexual immorality has a lot of negative individual and societal outcomes and decided to do something about it?
“And in the same veign (mean “vein”?), let’s all get behind that Government push to get rid of red meat, and ration salt.
Because all of those things are the same.”
Not so - vaping flavors is like giving Fentanyl a variety of nice flavors....or allowing pedophiles to use candy as a lure.
It’s not a conservative value to turn kids into addicts.
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