Melania against the Vapers – POLITICO

The first lady generally reluctant Melania Trump taken to Twitter on monday to express concern about a "growing epidemic" of teenage vape.

Her husband, addicted to Twitter, had already received the message.

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The couple has a 13-year-old son and the tweet of the first lady has been following weeks of behind-the-scenes efforts to find an answer to the growing pressure exerted on the explosion of a teenage girl's vaping. and the spread of a mysterious vaping-related disease across the country. the country.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office announced on Wednesday unexpectedly a crackdown. Health and Social Services Secretary Alex Azar, sitting beside him, said federal regulators would take thousands of flavored vods off the market until they are subject to regulatory reviews. Federal officials have suggested that this barrier is difficult to eliminate for many electronic cigarette manufacturers.

The first lady was not the only driving force. Attacking teenage vaping is one of those childhood health issues that appeal to a large number of voters – and Democrats have scheduled hearings and have called for swift action from the Food and Drug Administration.

But Trump said his wife's pressure was the key. In comparison with the previous ladies, she has kept a low profile on public policies. Here, on the other hand, she persuaded her husband to radically transform the government's approach into a massive, growing, and politically connected industry. It's something that neither federal regulators nor Capitol Hill have been able to do.

"Melania has the same concerns as any mother with a 13-year-old child," said a former Trump advisor who stays close to the White House. "Whether bullying or smoking … mothers want their children to be safe, and in this case, she whispers in the ear of the American president who can actually do something to fix this crisis that worries mothers. "

The new policy outweighed the resistance of some Republicans who advocated a more cautious approach to product control, which they said could be much safer than traditional tobacco. It's also a new direction for Trump's own administration, which had delayed the regulation of electronic cigarettes and was open to the argument that it's safer to spray nicotine than to smoke. traditional cigarettes.

At the beginning of an election year, the government was also anxious not to let congressional congressional Democrats, like Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Possess a high profile public health problem at the expense of the public. administration agents such as Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless.

"Durbin was relentless – and Sharpless was unperturbed," said a public health official, who asked not to be identified because he was working with Republican and Democrat leaders on tobacco. "The Trump administration did not want to see Durbin get results, and Durbin get a credit."

Democratic Senator No. 2 telephoned Azar twice last week, urging him to ban flavored vaping products, according to a person familiar with the calls.

The concerns are motivated by new evidence that the teenage vape epidemic is worsening and is attracting young teens the same age as Barron, the son of the Trumps. The Centers for Disease Control's annual survey on youth smoking found that over a quarter of high school students had used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days, and the vast majority of young e-cigarette users cited the use of popular fruit and menthol or mint flavors.

"We can not have our kids be so affected," said Trump. "That's how the first lady got involved. She has a son … a handsome young man and she feels very very strong. "

Melania Trump has tended to be interested in children and has visited several detention centers for young migrants, even as her husband defended radical immigration policies that exacerbated the crisis at the border. She also visited health centers treating infants born to opioid-dependent mothers.

Many cases of mysterious illness, which injured more than 450 people and killed at least six people, have been associated with vaping forms of marijuana and black market products. – not to electronic cigarettes, on the basis of what we know until now. But the two crises – the disease and the vape of adolescence – have collided politically and in the public mind, creating an openness for political action.

The new policy announced by Trump will toughen the marketing rules that the FDA has developed for e-cigs for month. Manufacturers should show that their e-cigarettes do not pose a threat to public health. They would also need to demonstrate why e-cigarettes without the added flavors should remain on the market. Until then, the administration can order all flavored vapors out of market.

Manufacturers may also have to demonstrate that their products may be misused. The agency will look at nicotine content, safety, as well as "product tamper evidence and perhaps even retail and chain distribution practices," Azar said.

This action followed growing pressure from congressional Democrats and a growing number of Republicans critical of the vaping industry's appeal and marketing strategies. They returned from their August break to more reports of steam illness and a growing appetite for national standards in order to replace a state-by-state patchwork while some regions are pushing ahead with flavor bans.

They were encouraged by former FDA commissioners such as Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down in April and became increasingly critical of the industry giant, Juul. , after the giant tobacco Altria had bought a large stake. In June, Gottlieb publicly called on his former employer to determine whether easy-to-use cartridge systems, such as Juul's, should be allowed on the market.

"This problem has been largely created by Juul's cartridge-based products, in my opinion," Gottlieb said Wednesday, adding that the action of the "administration" would reduce the attractiveness of these products for children and will have an impact on this epidemic ".

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler wrote to senators last month – and wrote an editorial for the New York Times – noting that Juul's chemistry in particular seemed designed to mask the nicotine's harshness and hang new users, much like traditional cigarette manufacturers focused on "sweetness" for years past.

"These are illegal products and should not be on the market without FDA approval, which they do not have," Kessler told POLITICO on Wednesday. "The increase in youth use and recent security concerns can no longer justify the administration's use of discretionary enforcement to avoid implementing the law."

In 2017, the FDA has extended the review period for e-cigarette products by four years. This summer, a federal court ordered him to require submissions within 10 months, which postpones the deadline to May 2020. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes remain on the market, at the discretion from the agency.

Juul Wednesday said he would abide by the FDA's new policy when it comes into effect.

Congressional Republicans were largely blinded by the White House movement. Most have either urged the authorities to be cautious while officials try to decode the vaping disease, or expressed concern about the possibility of a radical intervention in a legal market that does not seem immediately responsible for disease.

"I have never heard of a product caused by legal vaping," said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). "I understand the reasons, but adults might also like flavored vaping liquids."

The brutal announcement also left Republicans looking for clarification as to whether the administration was asking for a permanent ban or just a temporary stop.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) confirmed that there had been no communication from the White House or federal health agencies, adding. "But it's okay, I'm just glad they're acting."

However, some Republicans and conservative groups have criticized the bans on proposed flavors and other restrictions on sales that could drive former smokers to smoke.

"It's incredibly disheartening to see an administration that is proud to have reduced regulatory bureaucracy and is now trying to manage the lives of Americans," said Dan Savickas, Regulatory Officer at FreedomWorks, who supports the size government. scaled down. "Flavored electronic cigarettes are a vital option for many Americans who want to quit smoking. As always, government involvement will cause more harm than good. "

The major electronic cigarette manufacturers are walking slightly, preparing for tough times, but – unlike thousands of smaller manufacturers – better equipped to meet FDA requirements and lift the bar that prevents them from marketing their products. The Vapor Technology Association, a professional group in the sector, said the ban on flavors would be "a parody of public health" that could bring former smokers back to smoking.

But the entire industry will still have to face a strong push from the administration to be seen as protecting the children – and a caring first lady.

Joanne Kenen contributed to this report.