President Donald Trump backed away from a proposed ban of most flavored vaping products over concerns about job losses that could ultimately harm his re-election campaign, according to a new report.
Several weeks after Trump spoke out regarding the vaping-related illness that has now impacted more than 2,000 Americans, The Washington Post reported Sunday evening he will not go forward with a ban on e-cigarettes flavored with anything except tobacco. The Post reported that Trump's initial idea to ban flavored vaping products came at the urging of his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka.
After hearing from stakeholders in the vaping industry and even his campaign manager Brad Parscale, Trump concluded that a ban could lead to massive job losses in the vaping industry, including both manufacturers and retailers, which could ultimately harm his re-election bid in 2020, the Post reported.
One unnamed presidential adviser told the Post that the situation compares to the one involving guns. Trump has promised to take steps involving gun control but has largely backed away from doing so.
"It's going to go the way of guns," the adviser said.
Robin Koval, who serves as chief executive and president of the anti-tobacco nonprofit Truth Initiative, told the Post, "It appears that politics, not public health, is driving the decisions."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 2,172 known cases of a mysterious lung ailment that appears to be tied to the use of e-cigarettes. Forty-two people have died s a result.
In September, Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said a ban on flavored vaping products, which are popular with teenagers, would be instituted once the administration worked out some details. Trump, however, appears to have backed away from the planned move.
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