President Trump rescinded his predecessor’s proposed ban on menthol cigarettes less than a week after taking office. This delighted consumer choice advocates and solidified Trump’s support among Black Americans — one of the largest markets for menthols.
Withdrawing the menthol ban was also a win for public health. One study, with more than 85,000 participants across 12 states, concluded that menthols “are no more, and perhaps less, harmful than non-menthol cigarettes.” In contrast, another study “found evidence of lower cancer mortality risk among menthol smokers compared with non-menthol smokers.”
Trump has an opportunity to save menthols for the sake of public health. However, the menthols at issue now are not cigarettes but e-cigarettes.
Just days after Trump axed the menthol ban, the International Trade Commission decided to ban the United States’ only menthol-based vapes from the marketplace. All ITC commissioners were appointed by either Joe Biden or Barack Obama, whose decision came before Trump could fill the commission’s two vacancies.
How adversely this decision affects public health cannot be overemphasized. If the ITC gets its way, there will be zero flavored e-cigarettes authorized to compete with the illegal Chinese vapes flooding into our country. These banned disposable devices come in flavors like bubblegum and cotton candy to increase their appeal to kids. Some reports suggest China is loading them with illegal levels of nicotine to make them more addictive.
The decision to ban legal American vapes will continue the flow of American dollars into the Communist Chinese Party’s coffers.
China National Tobacco Corp., the state-owned company that the CCP oversees, has a hand in all the country’s vapes, profiting from each sale. It made $210 billion in 2023, nearly enough to fund China’s military then.
America is already a top customer of China National Tobacco Corp. In fact, as of last year, the United States accounted for nearly two-thirds of the country’s e-cigarette export market. If the ITC bans legal American vapes, that number is destined to increase.
The United States understands the magnitude of this problem.
During Trump’s first administration, he announced plans to clear the market of unauthorized flavored e-cigarette products to combat what was termed an “epidemic of youth e-cigarette use.” Stepping up enforcement against illegal Chinese vapes would be an essential step toward safeguarding children’s health, but it probably won’t be sufficient on its own.
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