A White House meeting with tobacco executives, vaping lobbyists, and anti-smoking activists erupted in shouting and debate on November 22, as the president seemed poised to backpedal on his ban of flavored e-cigarettes.
The conversation was heated at times with people speaking over each other. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), an outspoken critic of flavored e-cigarettes, told the president that most adults are not using flavors, prompting vaping industry leaders in the room to shout, “Yes they do!” and to offer sales statistics, according to a pool report.
The president said the administration will raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21, which many representatives from tobacco and vaping industries as well as the anti-tobacco groups support. But he seemed to retreat from the widespread ban he promised in September that would cover flavored e-cigarettes, including mint, and menthol products.
The White House reportedly wavered on the ban in recent weeks after being told it could eliminate thousands of small-business jobs and anger his voters. Recent comments from White House aides suggest that menthol and even age-restricted vape shops could be exempt.
R.J. Reynolds president, Joe Fragnito, Altria c.e.o., Howard Willard, and e-cigarette company NJOY’s c.e.o., Ryan Nivakoff, pushed back on flavor restrictions, saying they were not necessarily a public health issue and that companies can market flavors responsibly.
The only consensus among everyone was raising the purchasing age to 21. Raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21 has gained momentum in Congress, where a bipartisan measure backed passed the Senate’s health committee this summer. “None of these people want compromise. They want every product removed from the market, no exception,” commented Americans for Tax Reform’s Paul Blair.