To the editor:
President Trump took decisive action during his administration to address the youth vaping crisis, and those efforts have paid off. Youth smoking rates have dropped since 2019 when his administration banned flavored cartridge-based e-cigarette products, except for menthol and tobacco flavors. However, the ban had a critical loophole—disposable vapes were left untouched. Since then, these devices, 90% of which are made in China and none of which have FDA approval, have flooded the U.S. market successfully targeting youth with candy and fruity flavors to become the overwhelming nicotine delivery vehicle for children. As of 2024, over 1.6 million American children are vaping, according to the CDC. This is a public health crisis, and President Trump, alongside Senator J.D. Vance, is in a prime position to fix it.
Disposable flavored vapes are a genuine threat to the health of our children. We know that nicotine addiction poses long-term risks to developing brains, increasing anxiety, mood swings, and problems with attention and learning. And the problem isn’t just nicotine; Tom Price, Trump’s former Secretary of Health and Human Services, highlighted in a May 2023 oped for Fox News that Chinese manufacturers are adding illegal levels of nicotine to these vapes to make them even more addictive for teens. Reports of vapes laced with fentanyl—a potentially deadly drug—further underscore the dangers. China does not even allow the sale of flavored vapes within its own country. All those devices are made for export. As Tom Price said, “The CCP knows that flavored disposable vapes are an addictive product that poses a special risk to minors. But the communists don’t care about the dangers flavored disposable vapes pose to American kids. All they see is a profitable way to undermine their primary enemy.”
President Trump can again show leadership on vaping by ensuring the FDA in a second Trump term enforces existing regulations against illicit flavored vapes. To date, the FDA has not met the challenge as many Republican lawmakers have called out. In a February letter to the FDA, Senator Marco Rubio chided the FDA for its regulatory failures, saying that “law-abiding American companies wait years, spend millions of dollars, and comply with strict restrictions on flavors and marketing in order to gain FDA approval for their products,” while illegal Chinese vapes freely enter the U.S. market under the nose of federal agencies. Rubio is right: American companies that play by the rules are being outpaced by illegal imports. This is a failure of regulation that undermines not only public health but also American businesses. We need a leader in the White House who will push the FDA to act.
Trump has an opportunity to ensure that vaping remains a safer smoking alternative for adults, while continuing the trend of declining nicotine use among youth. By closing the loophole on flavored disposable vapes and preventing dangerous, unregulated products from entering the U.S., he can strike a balance between preserving adult choice and protecting our children. Senator Vance, who has been a vocal advocate for policies that prioritize American workers and public safety, is an ideal partner for President Trump in this fight.
The task is clear: in a second Trump administration, there must be an immediate crackdown on illegal flavored vapes from China. This includes ensuring American manufacturers have a clear pathway to bring safe, regulated products to market while stopping the flood of unregulated, dangerous vapes. As President Trump considers his priorities for a second term, this issue should be at the top of the agenda.
Shannen Murphy
Westlake, Ohio
