Television, Print and Social Ad Campaign Calls on President Trump to Put Kids’ Lives Above Tobacco Industry Profits

Public Health Advocates Urge Administration to Issue Guidance Prohibiting All Flavored E-Cigarettes

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) together with the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Truth Initiative launched an advertising campaign this week urging President Trump to protect kids’ lives over tobacco industry profits and follow through on a commitment to pull all flavored e-cigarettes from the market.

In September, the president, first lady and administration officials committed from the Oval Office to issue comprehensive guidance to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, and enforce the guidance on all e-cigarette retailers. Newly-released data show that the youth e-cigarette epidemic continues to get worse. More than 5 million kids now use e-cigarettes, with flavored products being a primary driver for use.

A statement from the public health groups follows:

“This campaign is in response to recent comments from the president and White House officials that appear to walk back a commitment that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would release and enforce comprehensive guidance to clear the marketplace of all e-cigarette flavors and proactively address the growing youth e-cigarette use crisis.

“Any attempts to weaken this guidance will further fuel the public health epidemic that has resulted from FDA’s delayed regulation of these addictive products and can only be seen as bending to the agenda of the profit-driven e-cigarette industry. Flavor carveouts or exemptions for certain retailers are simply unacceptable and will continue to allow e-cigarette manufacturers to hook a new generation of users by masking nicotine addiction behind flavored products.

“The administration, through strong and comprehensive FDA guidance, must protect our children and halt the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes. Our kids’ health isn’t for sale and the president should not cave to industry interests.”

The new ad campaign is available here. The ad is scheduled to run on cable news networks beginning Wednesday, November 13 2019 and on Sunday morning news shows on November 17, 2019. Additionally, print ads are scheduled to run in the Washington Post and New York Times Thursday, November 14, 2019.