A ban on flavoured e-liquid pods is expected to be announced this week following many months of speculation led by President Trump
Vapers will only be able to purchase tobacco and menthol-flavoured pods if the ban comes to pass.
However, flavoured e-liquids used in open-tank systems will reportedly remain on the market.
At a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on New Year’s Eve, President Trump said:
“We think we are going to get back in the market very, very quickly.
“We have a very big industry. We’re going to take care of the industry.”
The President announced his intention to ban all flavoured e-liquids in September last year.
However, he since said that he feared that a ban would lead vapers to use potentially dangerous, illicit products.
This concern was further fuelled by the EVALI outbreak spread by black-market THC oil cartridges.
Mr Trump had also been warned that an all-out ban could impact his re-election prospects.
The concession to allow bottled flavoured e-liquids to remain on the market could curry favour from the vape industry, which also fought for menthol pods to remain available after the ban.
Erika Sward, a spokeswoman for the American Lung Association, said that the ban was an important first step in reducing youth appeal.
However, she said that she feared that many young people would switch to menthol rather than quit vaping altogether.
Sward said:
“Flavors attract kids, and menthol is a flavor.
“It really helps to numb the senses and makes the poison go down easier.”
President Trump signed a bill raising the legal smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21 in December.
Header Image by History in HD on Unsplash
