JUUL's Not Cool

Vaping and e-cigarettes have made the news yet again. This time, the government is considering banning them, and maybe for good.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that they would be banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods following a sudden rise in vaping-related illnesses. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of probable vaping-related lung illnesses has risen to 530, three quarters of which are people under 25. Eight people have already died as a result of the illnesses.

The Food and Drug Administration is outlining a plan to ban all flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods–including mint and menthol. Opponents of the ban assert that such flavors should not be counted in the ban, and JUUL claims that the flavors are similar to those of actual flavored cigarettes.

The main purpose of the ban is to discourage teenagers from vaping and to keep e-cigarettes out of schools, as well as to prevent more vaping-related sickness. In a 2019 survey, about 25% of high school seniors reported using e-cigarettes within 30 days of the survey, and nearly 12% reported using them on a daily basis. Teenage vaping has doubled since 2017.

Last week, Michigan became the first state to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, and it seems like other states will soon follow.