The Trump Administration is proposing a ban on all e-cigarette flavors besides menthol and tobacco.
But will this affect teens' use? Previous consensus has been that young teens who vape prefer fruit and candy flavors, but a new study by USC’s Institute for Addiction Science finds that mint is the most popular flavor among tenth and twelfth graders surveyed, and the second most popular flavor behind mango for eighth graders. It's unclear whether menthol is comparable to mint, and whether teens would make the switch.
Under growing demand for regulation and bans, E-cigarette manufacturer JUUL voluntarily pulled all of its flavors except for mint, menthol, and tobacco off shelves, and its fruit and dessert flavors are awaiting FDA review. But how effective will this be, if teens can still get their hands on menthol flavored e-cigarettes?
Guest:
Jessica Barrington-Trimis, co-author of a new USC study on vaping and high school students; assistant professor of Preventive Medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine