Vape debate breaks out at White House with Mitt Romney saying ‘Unicorn Poop’ flavor is being sold to suck in child addicts as Donald Trump walks back from ban over worries black market would sell ‘poison’
- President Trump moderated a vaping discussion at the White House Friday afternoon
- Among the participants was Sen. Mitt Romney who pushed the president to pursue a ban of flavored vaping products, which he said were used to hook kids
- ‘By putting out cotton candy flavor and – what is it – unicorn poop flavor, look, this is a kid product and we have to put the kids first,’ Romney argued
- Trump said he worried that a prohibition on flavored vaping products would send Americans to the black market where they would be fed ‘poison’
President Trump moderated a lively debate over vaping Friday afternoon, which included colorful comments such as Sen. Mitt Romney’s suggestion that manufacturers were selling a flavor called ‘Unicorn Poop’ to hook child addicts.
‘It’s the flavor that’s drawing kids in,’ argued the Utah Republican. ‘By putting out cotton candy flavor and – what is it – unicorn poop flavor, look, this is a kid product and we have to put the kids first.’
The president, who had previously announced a flavor ban, said his worry was that vapers would seek flavored vape juice out anyway, and be fed ‘poison’ instead.
President Trump (right) moderated a lively discussion Friday afternoon at the White House about vaping and whether flavored vaping products should continue to be sold
President Trump (center), flanked by Sen. Mitt Romney (left), said he worried that a flavored ban would force people to simply buy ‘poison’ flavors on the black market
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney voiced concerns that young people were being hooked to vaping thanks to manufacturers selling flavors like ‘Unicorn Poop’
‘You watch prohibition,’ said Trump, who famously doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke.
He attributes being a teetotaler to his eldest brother Fred Trump Jr.’s struggles with addiction.
His brother died at age 42 after a long battle of alcoholism.
‘If you don’t give it to them, it is going to come here illegally,’ Trump pointed out. ‘They could be selling something on a street corner that could be horrible.’
‘They are going to have a flavor that is poison,’ Trump added.
While the president seemed to waver on flavors, he said he did support bumping up the age of purchase to 21.
Traditionally, tobacco products could be sold to Americans over 18, though 18 states have moved the age that people can purchase cigarettes and vaping products to 21.
Manufacturers haven’t pushed back against raising the age, but some have objected to the proposed flavor ban.
‘It’s not necessarily a flavor problem,’ Njoy CEO Ryan Nivakoff said.
Joseph Fragnito, the president of Reynolds American Inc., argued, ‘We believe we can market flavors responsibly.’
Romney, who noted that he served a Mormon constituency who was seeing their kids turn to vapes, remained unconvinced.
‘Almost six million kids addicted to Nicotine and they’re getting addicted to Nicotine because of flavors. Sixty-six percent of the kids addicted to these products are saying they didn’t even know they had Nicotine in it,’ Romney said.
‘They thought it was just a candy-type product,’ he added, calling teen vaping a ‘health emergency’ and then bringing up ‘Unicorn Poop,’ which does exist.
Vaping related illness is on the rise in the United States – as are instances of teen vaping. At least 47 have been killed by vaping, but most deaths have been linked to products being sold on the black market.
On September 11, Trump pulled reporters into the Oval Office with the first lady by his side to talk about the concerns she – and then he – had about teen vaping.
‘She’s got a son … she feels very strongly about it,’ he said of the first couple’s interest in the vaping issue.
The president’s youngest son, Barron, is 13.