After hundreds are sickened and six people dead due to lung disease caused by e-cigarettes, the Trump administration is preparing to ban it, according to CNBC.
What We Know:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had authority since 2016 to ban vaping flavors. They preferred spending time researching the possible effects these flavors have to help smokers quit traditional cigarettes.
- The FDA is concluding its plans to ban all non-tobacco flavors of e-cigarettes from the market within 30 days. Companies can fight these bans if they send a formal application and receive approval from the FDA. They can get approval by proving they don’t pose a public health threat and explaining why the flavored products should stay on the market.
- Juul, a popular vapor brand, is seen by many as enticing children in with flavors such as mango and crème. Since 2018, over 3.6 million kids currently use e-cigarettes and a survey shows there is a continuous increase. A Juul representative stated, “We strongly agree with the need for aggressive category-wide action on flavored products. We will fully comply with the final FDA policy when effective.”
I just announced with @POTUS and @FDACommissioner that we will be finalizing policies that will clear flavored e-cigarettes from the market. New provisional data show that youth use continues to rise rapidly, and we will not stand idly by.
— Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) September 11, 2019
- Michigan, San Francisco, and Boulder, Colorado, have banned flavored e-cigarettes. Democrats backed the administration’s move, stating how the rapid growth of this market needs government oversight, according to Politico.
- Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) encouraged the administration’s focus on vaping stating “I’m concerned about the rise in underage vaping and the ability for devices to be tampered with in ways that might be especially hazardous to users’ health.”
The Centers for Disease Control is investigating more than 450 cases of lung disease suspected to be caused by vaping.
