The FDA's youth vaping problem

Despite youth e-cigarette use being cut in half between 2019 and 2022, politicians, public health, and Bloomberg-funded nanny state organizations continue to decry a youth vaping epidemic. These e-cigarette opponents will seemingly stop at nothing until all flavored and regulated e-cigarette products are off the market. In their world, even one child using a product that is significantly less harmful is much worse than a million adults who successfully quit smoking by using that same device.

While youth should never use tobacco or vapor products, public health must realize this negative externality is unavoidable. The question now is what the acceptable percentage of youth using these products to warrant adult access is. Fortunately for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and lawmakers who want to address the fake youth vaping crisis, an answer exists in old tobacco control policy: the Synar Amendment.

In 1992, Congress wanted the states to reduce sales of tobacco products to minors. To do so, they ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to block grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration should states not reduce the number of sales to minors.