Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Once Upon A Time Everything Seemed Ready To Go For Trump's E-Cigarette Flavor Ban. Why Did He Reverse Course?
The New York Times: Trump Retreats From Flavor Ban For E-Cigarettes
It was a swift and bold reaction to a growing public health crisis affecting teenagers. Seated in the Oval Office in September, President Trump said he was moving to ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes as vaping among young people continued to rise. “We can’t have our kids be so affected,” Mr. Trump said. The first lady, Melania Trump, who rarely involves herself publicly with policy announcements in the White House, was there, too. “She’s got a son,” Mr. Trump noted, referring to their teenager, Barron. “She feels very strongly about it.” (Karni, Haberman and Kaplan, 11/17)
The Washington Post: Trump Reverses Course On Flavored Vape Ban, Leaving It Unclear Whether The Government Will Act
One last thing was needed: Trump’s sign-off. But on Nov. 4, the night before a planned morning news conference, the president balked. Briefed on a flight to a Lexington, Ky., campaign rally, he refused to sign the one-page “decision memo,” saying he didn’t want to move forward with a ban he had once backed, primarily at his wife’s and daughter’s urging, because he feared it would lead to job losses, said a Trump adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal deliberations. As he had done so many times before, Trump reversed course — this time on a plan to address a major public health problem because of worries that apoplectic vape shop owners and their customers might hurt his reelection prospects, said White House and campaign officials. (Dawsey and McGinley, 11/17)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Delays Decision On Possible E-Cigarette Restrictions
A policy is still expected to emerge, but the president is less adamant than he had been when he said in September that he would seek to bar sales of sweet, fruit-flavored e-cigarettes aimed at young people. Already, the administration has softened its original stance to make an exception for menthol flavors. Mr. Trump has also said he favors raising the minimum purchase age for e-cigarettes nationwide to 21 years old from 18, a position that has been pushed by the vaping industry and is supported by e-cigarette powerhouse Juul Labs Inc. (Leary, 11/18)
Bloomberg: Trump’s Vaping Ban Is Stalled After An Industry Lobbying Push
“President Trump and this administration are committed to responsibly protecting the health of children,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in an e-mail. “At this time, we are in an ongoing rulemaking process, and I will not speculate on the final outcome.” Opponents of strict regulation have made a public health argument of their own: that vaping is far less harmful than cigarette smoking and has enabled many former smokers to wean themselves off of tobacco products. Industry advocates have warned that a wide-ranging ban would close stores, put thousands of people out of work and drive adult vapers back to cigarettes. (Wingrove and Porter, 11/15)
The Hill: Trump Reversed Course On Flavored E-Cigarette Ban Over Fear Of Job Losses: Report
E-cigarette manufacturers have come under scrutiny in recent months due to a rise of lung illnesses in teens and young adults thought to be related to vaping amid explosive popularity of the devices among younger Americans. (Bowden, 11/17)
In other vaping news —
The New York Times: Apple To Ban Vaping Apps From Its Store
Apple removed 181 vaping apps from its online store on Friday, following the lead of federal, state and local regulators, which in recent months have cracked down on e-cigarette products. The prohibition affects apps that help people find vape stores or flavors, allow them to control their vape pens, or gain access to games, news or social networks that promote vaping. Apple’s vaping app ban is the second significant step the iPhone maker has taken to distance itself from e-cigarettes. (Nicas and Tsang, 11/15)
Columbus Dispatch: Vaping Isn't Healthier Than Smoking, Health-Care Professionals Warn, But Some Not Quick To Condemn
In Ohio, the state Department of Health is spending $4.1 million over two years to increase education about e-cigarettes and provide communities with resources to help reduce use, and in October, Gov. Mike DeWine called on the state legislature to ban the sale of flavored liquids that are so appealing to youth. In July, he signed a budget that included a new tax on vaping products and raised the age for the legal sale of tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. Elected officials elsewhere took similar measures. (Dispatch, 11/15)
WBUR: How Vaping Snuck Up On Regulators
When President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009, it gave government regulators an important new weapon in its battle against Big Tobacco. For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration had the power to regulate the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of tobacco products, including the new and then-largely unknown practice of vaping. Ten years later, e-cigarettes have become dramatically more popular, yet government officials have still not begun regulating the hundreds of vaping products now on the market. (Zarroll, 11/15)
Kaiser Health News: Listen: How A Wisconsin Senator Is Trying To Prevent A Vape Flavor Ban
Kaiser Health News Midwest Correspondent Lauren Weber joined host Kealey Bultena on Wisconsin Public Radio’s news magazine “Central Time” to discuss Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s role in the politics of vaping. Weber and fellow KHN reporter Rachel Bluth had reported on how the recent crackdowns on vaping amid a surge of mysterious lung injuries are politicizing vapers. Johnson, who in 2016 thanked vapers for helping him win his reelection bid, has publicly urged President Donald Trump to back away from banning flavored e-cigarette products. (11/15)
