On September 11, 2019, the Trump Administration announced plans to ban all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes. In making the announcement from the Oval Office, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said,
The Trump Administration is making it clear that we intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities. We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth.
The announcement is the latest salvo in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) effort to reduce e-cigarette use (also known as vaping) among teenagers and young adults. In recent years, the FDA–an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services–has issued more than 8,600 warning letters and more than 1,000 fines to retailers for selling e-cigarettes and related products to minors.
Like virtually every policy intended to protect children, the practical and moral consequences for adults are being ignored. In their quest to protect the nation’s youth, government officials are willing to limit the choices available to adults. Indeed, once we get beyond the self-righteous rhetoric, we can see that the war on vaping is simply a smoke screen to hide the FDA’s intention to serve as America’s health tyrant.
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If you are looking to protect the children then ban the thing that is being misused.
Juul is what these kids are vaping and they are doing it for the buzz.
Flavor is for adults and adults should be able to vape any flavor that can help them get away from combustible cigarettes. Vaping Saves Lives and it is an effective way to get off combustibles. I’ve personally had hundreds of ex smokers tell the same story of how vaping helped them stop smoking.
I am opposed to any kind of ban on vaping. Prohibitions, whether of alcohol, drugs, or vaping, are ineffective and immoral. The fact that something is being abused doesn’t justify a ban. Virtually everything can be abused, including food and sex. Those concerned with youth vaping should put their efforts into helping teenagers make better decisions rather than denying adults the freedom of choice.