According to an article published by “CNN Health,” the Centers for Control and Disease Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase of about 300% in the sales of e-cigarettes. The CDC report revealed a 294% increase in sales between November 2016 to August 2019 and a 122% increase from September 2014 to May 2020. In February 2020, the Trump administration endorsed a “flavor ban,” allowing the FDA to enforce regulations on flavored vaping products. However, some of the vaping flavor products were exempt from this rule, such as; tobacco and menthol. This exemption brought concern to many health experts due to the increased probability of redirecting users to the more available products. The CDC now reports, disposable e-cigarettes made up about 20% of product sales, where tobacco and menthol flavors dominated the prefilled cartridge market. Matthew Meyers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, says “kids have shifted dramatically to the menthol and disposable e-cigarettes left on the market under the Trump Administration policy.” It is known that vaping companies have found loopholes in the system allowing them to continue selling flavored products under the radar, contributing to the epidemic. A collective statement released by The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Truth Initiative reads “Youth e-cigarette use has skyrocketed to epidemic levels and millions of kids have been put at risk of nicotine addiction. The cause of this crisis is clear: tobacco companies have lured kids with appealing flavors and hooked them with massive doses of nicotine. The FDA must act decisively to stop them.”
CDC Reports United States E-Cigarette Sales Increased by 300%
