The Vaping Overreaction
Even as states and the federal government crack down on vaping products, conventional cigarettes remain on store shelves—and pose a greater danger to public health than flavored nicotine vapes do. But to acknowledge this is taboo, at least in the United States.
Last month, the Trump administration announced its intention to bar all e-cigarettes that don’t taste like tobacco. Massachusetts recently imposed a four-month ban on sales of all vaping products—a drastic move now under litigation in state court. Other states, including Michigan, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, and New York, have banned all fruit and candy flavors or have taken steps to do so. Walmart, Walgreens, and several other major retailers have announced that they will stop selling e-cigarettes altogether. And last week, the company that makes Juul (the sleek device popular with who can afford it) to suspend the sale of all flavors except for tobacco, mint, and menthol.
