President Trump on Wednesday gathered reporters in the Oval Office to announce that his administration is weighing a ban on flavored e-cigarettes in light of their popularity amongst teenagers. “We’re going to have to do something about it,” Trump said at the impromptu briefing. “She’s got a son,” Trump said, referencing first lady Melania Trump, who was present at the announcement, and their teenage son Barron Trump. “She feels very strongly about it.” Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also flanked the president and later tweeted out an official press release on the initiative. “We will not stand idly by as these products become an on-ramp to combustible cigarettes or nicotine addiction for a generation of youth,” Azar said.
A mysterious illness affecting hundreds of people who’ve used vaping products has raised an alarm for health officials. CDC Director Robert Redfield has been invited to testify before a House panel at a hearing on the outbreak on Sept. 24. The illness only adds to concerns over the droves of juveniles taking to the electronic alternative, and potentially getting hooked. Legal action has been taken against Juul, the pioneering e-cigarette company, for allegedly targeting teenagers through advertising and flavors.
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