Trump abandons sweeping vape ban with new slimmed-down rules

Federal rules expected to be released soon — more than three months after President Donald Trump promised a crackdown on vaping amid a pair of related public health crises — include new carveouts that will allow some products to remain on the market. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.

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The Food and Drug Administration will ban major retailers, gas stations and convenience stores from selling all fruit- and sweet-flavored vapes, which have been blamed for the sharp rise in teen use. However, in a major reversal, the agency will allow menthol-flavored e-cigarettes to be widely available, and open tank vapes commonly sold in vape shops will also be excluded from the ban, an HHS official confirms.

The decision is a win for some of Trump’s conservative allies, who warned a more sweeping ban on flavored vaping products would alienate the president’s base and weaken his reelection effort. However, the carveouts have angered public health groups.

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