But White House opposes new flavour ban
The House of Representatives has passed a bill banning flavours in all e-cigarette products in the US. The bill goes against Donald Trump's new law that bans flavours only in pre-filled tanks, leaving e-liquid sold separately untouched.
The bill also includes a ban on flavoured cigarettes including menthol and higher taxes on e-cigarettes. According to several analysts, Donald Trump will veto the bill in the Senate, writes Market Watch magazine
According to proponents of the bill, a total flavour ban would stop the use of e-cigarettes among young people. However, according to several commentators, the absence of flavours on the market would only lead to more smokers choosing cigarettes over e-cigarettes. Even among young people.
Risk of closing vejpshoppes
"Flavour bans do not protect American youth. It only leads to closed vejpshops and a huge black market" writes Vapour Technology Association, VTA in a press release.
The VTA is a lobbying group representing the vejp companies in the US, i.e. the 15,000 smaller vejp shops operating across the country.
This autumn and winter, several US cities and states have chosen to address e-cigarette use among youth with different types of bans on the products. According to the VTA, it is clear that this does not work. The reason is that it is not really the flavours that attract young people in the first place, but pure curiosity. This is an opinion supported by the authorities' own statistics, where young people mention curiosity and carers who use e-cigs, as the main causes.
"What we do know is that flavours are very important to adult e-cigarette users who want to quit smoking. Flavours are also the basic income for the 15,000 vejpshoppers who sell them. This is about 150,000 jobs that could be lost", says the VTA in its press release
White House: Against modern research
The bill will now go to the Senate, where many observers suspect that Mr Trump will veto it and actively block it.
"The proposal contains elements that go against modern research on harm reduction for smokers" writes The White House in a comment on the law. "It limits the availability of less harmful products for smokers on the market"
You can read more at Vejpkollen:
Limited flavour ban saves vejpshoppers
Wrong conclusions about risks of e-cigs - research withdrawn
