US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC on September 11, 2019. Amid the uproar over the lung disease that has claimed the lives of six people, Mr. Trump announced that his administration is considering banning all flavored vape products.
“This is causing a lot of problems,” the president, along with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and FDA Commissioner Norman Sharpless, told reporters at the White House.
President Donald Trump appeared to change his stance on vaping in a tweet Friday night, shortly after announcing a ban on all flavored vapes earlier this week.
“I want vaping to be an alternative to cigarettes, but make sure it’s a safe alternative for everyone!” the president tweeted. “Get the fake stuff off the market and keep kids away from vaping!” he added, the first time he’s mentioned counterfeit products.
The tweet is another example of the president’s reluctance to take tough legislation, similar to his handling of gun control policy. He initially announced action on background checks after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. But after talks with the National Rifle Association, he softened his stance on new policies and offered vague statements about his next steps.
Vaping, which Trump strongly opposed earlier this week, could fall into a similar trap.
The president said Wednesday the FDA will issue tough recommendations on flavored vaping in the coming weeks.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar sat in the Oval Office with the President, First Lady Melania Trump and the FDA Commissioner to announce new enforcement proposals that would force e-cigarette companies to withdraw their products.
“It will take a few weeks for us to issue final directives on the new policy, and then 30 days before the policy takes effect,” Mr. Azar said.
But “at that time, all flavored vapes other than tobacco flavors would be removed from the market,” the secretary added.
By May 2020, he said, e-cigarette companies that make tobacco-flavored products will have the opportunity to apply for FDA approval. Flavor makers will also have the opportunity then, but their products won’t be able to hit shelves until their applications are approved.
It remains unclear what impact Mr Trump's change will have on the plan, as the issue of counterfeit products was not mentioned in the Oval Office meeting.
The first lady, a child health expert, has repeatedly raised her concerns about underage use of e-cigarettes.
When asked by reporters if he and his wife had discussed e-cigarettes with their 13-year-old son Barron, Trump said, “We haven’t told him anything, just don’t vape. Don’t vape. We don’t like vaping. I don’t like vaping.”
Two White House staffers have left to work for Juul, a popular e-cigarette company. A third is now working there as a consultant.
On Thursday evening, the CDC updated the number of cases nationwide. The agency said there are now 380 confirmed and probable cases linked to e-cigarettes across 36 states.
