President Trump said Friday that restrictions on legal vaping could lead to the rise of black markets.
“You watch prohibition, you look with the alcohol, you look at cigarettes … If you don’t give it to them, it is going to come here illegally,” Trump said in a meeting with vaping industry executives and anti-vaping advocates at the White House. “Instead of Reynolds or Juul, or, you know, legitimate companies, good companies making something that’s safe, they’re going to be selling stuff on a street corner that could be horrible.”
Trump reportedly backed off an administration plan earlier this month to ban flavored e-cigarettes, out of fear that such a restriction could harm his reelection. He said repeatedly during the meeting, however, that he supports raising the minimum tobacco purchasing age to 21.
“Not only have we called for increasing the age to 21 — that’s a no-brainer,” Vapor Technology Association executive director Tony Abboud said during the meeting. “That has to be done because that keeps it away from the 18-year-olds.”
The meeting became contentious. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said several times that flavored e-liquids are to blame for the vaping epidemic.
“Sixty-six percent of the kids addicted to these products say they didn’t even know it had nicotine in it,” Romney said. “They thought it was just a candy-type product. It’s the flavor that’s drawing the kids in, it’s a health emergency.”
Vaping advocates and opponents spoke over each other at competing volumes. At one point, Romney said, “Most adults are not using flavors,” and was greeted with a chorus of “Yes they are” from several vaping advocates.
After an hour of heated discussion, the president dismissed the group without announcing a course of action.
“We’ll be announcing very soon,” Trump said as press filed out. “But we’re going to continue this meeting for a little while.”
