Statement from Jose Luis Castro, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vital Strategies, on the Trump Administration’s Decision to Ban Flavored E-cigarettes:
“We welcome the announcement that the Trump Administration is planning to remove flavored e-cigarettes from the market to stem the youth vaping crisis in the United States. Kid-friendly flavors have contributed to the nearly 80% rise in vaping among U.S. high school students between 2017 and 2018. By failing to take swift action before now to regulate these products, policy makers have allowed e-cigarette companies to mislead consumers about the health benefits of their products and hook a new generation of America’s kids and teens with sweet and fruity flavors. The government needs to act swiftly with a regulatory approach that is comprehensive and permanent.
“It’s worrying that in his comments today the Health Secretary Alex Azar left the door open for flavored products to be reintroduced in the future. Our children’s health deserves a long-term solution, not a temporary fix. And news of a sixth vaping-related death reminds us that flavored e-cigarettes are just one of many issues demonstrating the potential deadly harms of e-cigarettes. Truly comprehensive regulation is essential to safeguard the health of all Americans and protect our progress toward a tobacco-free generation.”
About Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control:
Vital Strategies works globally and in more than 40 countries to support the adoption of proven policies to reduce tobacco use. Our global team of experts use policy, advocacy and strategic communication to help governments adopt life-saving, public health “best buys” like comprehensive smoke-free laws and high tobacco taxes. Our evidence-based public education campaigns – designed to encourage quitting, delay initiation, support policy goals like compliance with smoke-free laws, and over the long term, reduce the acceptability of smoking and change attitudes about the tobacco industry – have been seen by more than 2 billion people. We partner with American Cancer Society to produce The Tobacco Atlas, (sixth ed.) the most comprehensive report on the evolving global tobacco epidemic, and support production of WHO’s MPOWER reports. Vital Strategies is a main partner in the $1 billion Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use.
For more information on Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control, please visit: https://www.vitalstrategies.org/programs/tobacco-control/
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that seeks to accelerate progress on the world’s most pressing health problems. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop and implement sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change. To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat.