Trump administration prepares to ban flavored e-cigarettes

E-JUICE, USED IN E-CIGARETTE VAPORIZERS, IS DISPLAYED AT A SAN FRANCISCO SHOP. (JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES)

Following a recent spate of severe lung illnesses and deaths related to vaping, the Trump administration just announced that it would look to ban flavored e-cigarettes. E-cigs have also become a source of concern because of their rapidly growing popularity among youths, perhaps in large part because they come in fruit and other flavors. “We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. The FDA has taken steps to crack down on e-cigs, including sending a warning letter to Juul earlier this week about its marketing practices. Still, the agency has had the ability to ban flavored e-cigs since 2016, but has thus far resisted taking the step.