FDA vape guidance could endanger children, contradicting MAHA goals |
FDA vape guidance could endanger children, contradicting MAHA goals
For years, public health officials have warned about the dangers of youth vaping. And now, at a time when the country says it wants to “Make America Healthy Again,” the FDA appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
This month, the agency opened the door wider for flavored vaping products, including authorizing the first fruit-flavored vapes ever approved by the Food and Drug Administration. At the same time, regulators signaled they may back off enforcement against some unauthorized vape products already being sold.
And look, I understand the argument. The Trump administration says flavored vapes could help adult smokers quit cigarettes. Some adults probably will use them that way. But here’s the problem: kids are using them too. A lot of them!
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 10 to 14 percent of high school students are actively using e-cigarettes. That is not a small number. That’s millions of teenagers growing up addicted to nicotine in products that come in flavors like mango, blueberry, cotton candy and mint.
And the marketing is ridiculous. Public health experts have compared modern vape advertising to the old Joe Camel cigarette campaigns. The playbook feels familiar: bright colors, candy flavors,........