President Trump is expected to sign legislation sometime soon that will prohibit the sale of sugar, mint, vanilla, rum, and fruit-flavored cartridges for vaping purposes, as long as they are under the category of e-cigarettes. The FDA will be administering the compliance of the new ban, but it is as yet unclear if they will be able to fine or otherwise punish merchants who flaut the new law when it goes into effect. Plain tobacco flavor, as well as menthol, are not on the prohibited list, which has raised an outcry from several health and consumer groups that claim the menthol flavor is the most addictive and thus the most harmful chemical additive for vapers. At the same time the Administration has indicated it will not pursue bans on any flavors for what are known as open tank vaping kits. This concession is evidence of just how powerful the tobacco and other conservative lobbies are, especially in an election year when not only the President, but many members of Congress are up for reelection. PAC money from tobacco interests fuels many conservative political campaigns this year, and politicians, as a group, are not that keen on completely alienating the men and women who wield the nicotine-stained moneybags.
