Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 | 2 a.m.
We are blessed in the United States with countless people driven by a desire to improve their town, county, state or country. That same desire led me to family medicine, law and eventually politics, where I work daily as a member of the Nevada Legislature to make things better for my constituents in Assembly District 20 and throughout the state.
If you ask me or other officeholders about the most important aspects of public service, near the top of the list will be ensuring the well-being and safety of our children.
But there are unfortunate exceptions. By proudly declaring via a Sept. 20 text on Truth Social that he “saved Flavored Vaping in 2019” and will “save Vaping again,” former President Donald Trump has shown, once more, that he won’t fight for a healthier future for kids if reelected.
Let’s be clear about what Trump has done for flavored vaping. In 2019, he seemed to side with public health when he announced a plan to ban non-tobacco flavors from all e-cigarettes, both refillable and disposable. But political advisers worried that a full ban on flavored vapes might alienate voters. As usual, Trump put politics over public health and watered down the final rules. Instead of a total ban, the 2020 Food and Drug Administration rules only prohibited flavors in cartridge-based vapes, excluding disposable vapes. After Trump weakened his own rules, teens easily shifted to flavored disposables and their popularity and usage exploded.
From 2020 to 2023, the CDC Foundation estimated that sales of nontobacco-flavored vapes surged 58%, from 11.2 million to 17.6 million units. The number of unique disposable products ballooned 1,500% from 365 to 5,800.
Who profits from this Trump loophole? China. Flavored vapes can’t be sold in China, but they can be exported, and Chinese manufacturers have created a $28 billion e-cigarette export industry that relies heavily on the U.S. market.
By imposing only a partial flavorings ban, Trump created a legal regime that’s impossible to enforce. The vapes from China are illegal, but regulators simply don’t have the resources to identify the illicit vapes in a market with thousands of products and millions of units being sold. The only enforceable flavorings ban is a total ban. Trump’s promise to “save” flavored vaping is a pledge to prop up a multibillion-dollar Chinese industry that profits from addicting American kids to nicotine.
And the kids are why every politician and parent should care. Walk into any of the numerous stores where these illegal flavored vapes are sold, and it’s clear these Chinese manufacturers specifically target children. Vapes come in candy and fruity flavors, packaged in bright, colorful designs, and are often disguised as school supplies. Some even include built-in video games.
Manufacturers use celebrities and influencers to promote their products while ramping up nicotine strength and cutting costs, making these illegal vapes even easier for kids to buy. Some devices contain nicotine levels comparable to several cartons of cigarettes. It’s no surprise that 88% of the 1.6 million youths who vape use flavored products. These are the devices hooking kids on nicotine. Trump would rather protect these illegal vapes than safeguard American children.
Make no mistake — all vapes endanger American youth and as a physician, I take this issue very seriously. The U.S. surgeon general has warned that vaping poses significant risks, including harm to the heart, lungs and brain regions tied to attention and learning, as well as a higher likelihood of addiction to other substances.
Because the illegal flavored vapes are made in China and lack strict regulation, they may contain dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde or even fentanyl. So why would a former president, now running again, side with China over American kids? As with many things Trump, it boils down to money and power. Reports show that Trump met with a prominent vaping lobbyist just hours before pledging to save flavored vapes.
America deserves better than a candidate who sacrifices the health and future of our children for votes or financial gain. We need a president who will direct the FDA to prioritize the removal of illegal flavored vapes. Trump has proven he is not and will not be that leader.
I hope every voter who is interested in a healthy future for our community’s children will join me in voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Dr. David Orentlicher is the Judge Jack and Lulu Lehman Professor of Law at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law and director of the UNLV Health Law Program. Since November 2020 he has served in the Nevada State Assembly representing District 20. He previously served in the Indiana House of Representatives.
This post was originally published on here
