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President Trump Meets With Pro/Cons on Vaping
@realDonaldTrump (Donald Trump, President) finally met with representatives for Pro-Vaping and the results aren’t nearly as bad as some had predicted. In fact, reading about the outcome of the meeting it seems as though the President’s first knee-jerk reaction was just that. Now that he has studied up on the situation, and tuned out the hyperbole, it’s looking a little better.
From UPI:
President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) said on Friday his administration would propose a minimum age of 21 for the purchase of e-cigarette products.
The president made the comment during a robust “listening” session at the White House with vaping industry executives, public health advocates, as well as some members of Congress and the Administration.
During the past 8 years that we’ve been publishing Spinfuel VAPE, no one here could remember even meeting or talking to a single Vaper who was even close to 21. Most of us were in our 30’s, 40’s, and even older. Raising the age to 21 is, in my opinion, is more symbolic than effective. Unless there is strict enforcement on this age requirement.
The age requirement of 21 could work out okay, simply because most vape hobbyists are much older, but it does bother me that 18-year-olds can do a lot that minors cannot. They can join the military and vote in elections. If an 18-year-old signs a contract she/he is held to it by law. If an 18-year-old wants to get married, they can, without parental permission. And, 18-year-old man and women can buy alcohol is several states. You what I mean?
All the things a person can legally do at 18, buying a mod, a tank, and a bottle of e-liquid isn’t one of them. It really doesn’t sit well with me, but because I haven’t seen age 18 in decades, I could live with it though. (I know, I know, I’m selfish)
How Wrong Romney Is
Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican from Utah, said “most adults are not using flavors,” prompting vaping industry leaders to shout back, “yes they do,” offering adult sales statistics.
God, after hearing that (Romney Statement above) I was SO glad I never voted for this clown. Romney has it completely backwards. Adults LOVE flavors, it’s the kids that vape menthol and tobacco. Does he really think a teenager would want to walk around with a Pod Mod (another product I hate), and proudly announce the pod is filled with Strawberry Cream e-Juice?
Romney responded by pointing to JUUL voluntarily ending flavors, but other companies said many or most of sales are of flavored products.
Of course JUUL would drop flavors. Why? Because most vaping adults don’t like closed system pod mods, and JUUL’s flavors are awful. Because teens like menthol (for the throat hit) and tobacco (for that cigarette hit). I felt sorry for President Trump having to sit next to this guy.
Romney reportedly clashed more than a few times with our vaping advocates. “Utah is a Mormon state, and half the kids in high school are vaping,’ he said at one point. He claimed vaping companies sold a flavor called “unicorn poop” to appeal to children.
I can’t imagine ole stuffed shirt Romney saying the flavor name “Unicorn Poop”. And, for God’s sake, what does “a Mormon state” matter? HALF the kids are vaping in Utah??? That’s crap, pure crap. I wonder if he presented verified materials verifying those numbers. If so, I want to see them.
As for “Unicorn Poop”? Yea, I have to agree. Create the flavor, by all means, but I don’t think adult vapers would care if the flavor was called “UP101-A”. What’s in a name?
Ryan Nivakoff, CEO of NJOY, said teen vaping is “not necessarily a flavor problem.” At another point, Reynolds American chief commercial officer Joe Fragnito, told Trump, “we believe we can market flavors responsibly.”
Using the words “not necessarily” was wrong in my opinion. Teen vaping just isn’t a flavor problem. Like I said, teens vape menthol and tobacco. I suppose if you want to call menthol a flavor then okay, he’s correct. When I was a smoker in the 90’s I never thought of menthol cigarettes as flavored cigarettes. Seriously. I just called them ‘menthols.
I hope President Trump knows that marketing flavors so they do not appeal to kids can be very easy. I’ve said for years that all this strange packaging and flavor names could be a problem. Hell, 59mg nicotine salt JUUL Pods is a problem for me.
But the industry wouldn’t hurt at all if uniform packaging was required. In other words, Adults vape flavors they enjoy, they don’t buy e-liquid because they like the packaging. It just isn’t done.
Greg Conley, president and founder of the American Vaping Association, said afterwards that the president “seemed to understand that prohibition is not the only option.”
“He cares a lot about youth and keeping them away from these products, but there is the jobs issues and the adult cessation issue that is clearly weighing on his mind,” Conley said.
Conley added, however, that there was no indication of the timing of any broad plan. “He wants ideas.”
Greg tells it like it is, and if there is a chance of blowback, Greg would never say anything that could blow back on him and make him look the fool. So, Greg words tell me that Trump is a believer in Vaping as a smoking cessation product, he doesn’t have a problem with actual flavors, and he wants to make the market safe for adults.
It’s in President Trump Court Now
If President Trump can do this, he’ll have 13 million happy Vapers willing to show their appreciation. On the other hand, if Trump is just blowing vapor up the assess of the participants, then there will be a problem. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.
I truly want President Trump (@realDonaldTrump) to make a speech aimed at all the governors in the US, asking them to not overreach their powers by attempting to ban flavors, especially since Vaping with e-liquid has NOTHING to do with the recent vaping illness. So, why this war and why now?
