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Trump Backing Off Banning Vaping Flavors Popular with Teens

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - When President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One to fly
   to a Kentucky campaign rally two weeks ago, a plan was in place for him
   to give final approval to a plan to ban most flavored e-cigarettes.

   By the time Trump landed back at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington
   a few hours later, the plan was off. And its future is unclear.

   For nearly two months, momentum had been building inside the White
   House to try to halt a youth vaping epidemic that experts feared was
   hurting as many as 5 million teenagers.

   Both first lady Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, the president's
   daughter and senior adviser, pushed for the ban, which was also being
   championed internally by White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who
   has taken the lead on some public health issues.

   But as Trump sat surrounded by political advisers on the flights to and
   from Lexington, he grew reluctant to sign the ban, convinced it could
   alienate voters who would be financially or otherwise affected by a
   vaping ban, according to two White House and campaign officials not
   authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.

   A news conference scheduled by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex
   Azar to announce the ban was canceled, while more meetings with
   industry leaders and lobbyists were proposed, according to the
   officials.

   Trump tweeted last week that he'll be meeting with vaping industry
   representatives, medical professionals and others "to come up with an
   acceptable solution to the Vaping and E-cigarette dilemma." The White
   House has yet to announce a date for a meeting.

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