Trump Administration to Ban Most Flavored E-Cigarettes

THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The Trump Administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit-, and dessert-flavored electronic cigarette cartridges, while allowing the continued sale of menthol- and tobacco-flavored vapes.

As reported Tuesday by The New York Times, the new ban would have one major exception: Flavored liquid nicotine used in “open tank systems” will not be outlawed. That is seen as a concession to the burgeoning vape shop business.

Health advocates supported the ban but said the exclusion of menthol could greatly weaken its effect.

“The administration policy will fall well short of what is necessary to address this growing epidemic,” Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, said in a statement. “By allowing menthol flavors and flavored liquid nicotine used in open tank systems to remain on the market, the administration would leave a wide pathway for continued e-cigarette use among our nation’s children.”

“Flavors attract kids, and menthol is a flavor,” Erika Sward, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association, told the Times. “It really helps to numb the senses and makes the poison go down easier.”

The New York Times Article
Statement From the American Heart Association