There is no time to waste in confronting this worsening epidemic of youth nicotine addiction. More than 5 million children now use e-cigarettes, including over 1 in 4 high school students. The evidence is clear that flavors play a critical role in youth use of e-cigarettes. Research has found that nearly all (97%) current youth e-cigarette users use flavored e-cigarettes and 70% cite flavors as a key reason for their use. The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 57.3% of high school e-cigarette users use mint- or menthol-flavored products, an increase from 38.1% in 2018 and 21.0% in 2017.

Youth e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction leads to increased risk of cigarette use. Tobacco remains accessible to minors, and more needs to be done to prevent young people from using these addictive products. We must do everything we can to prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for a generation of youth. Now is the time to act and protect the health of our children.

Consensus Statement: We strongly support President Trump’s proposal, made on September 11, 2019, to swiftly remove all non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol flavors, from the marketplace both in retail stores and online. We urge the Administration to act without delay to finalize and implement its plan. If this plan is swiftly and fully implemented, it will play a critical role in reversing the youth e-cigarette epidemic and preserve the health and well-being of our nation’s children.

On Behalf of:

• Action on Smoking & Health
• African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
• American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Association for Cancer Research
• American Association for Dental Research
• American Association for Respiratory Care
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• American College Health Association
• American College of Cardiology
• American College of Chest Physicians
• American College of Physicians
• American College of Preventive Medicine
• American Dental Education Association
• American Federation of School Administrators
• American Heart Association
• American Lung Association
• American Medical Association
• American Medical Student Association
• American Psychiatric Association
• American Public Health Association
• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Thoracic Society
• Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
• Big Cities Health Coalition
• Black Ladies in Public Health
• Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund
• Children’s Wisconsin
• ClearWay Minnesota
• Common Sense Media
• Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
• COPD Foundation
• Counter Tools
• Eta Sigma Gamma – National Health Education Honorary
• First Focus Campaign for Children
• GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
• LUNGevity Foundation
• Lymphoma Research Foundation
• Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
• NAACP
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• National Association of County and City Health Officials
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
• National Association of Secondary School Principals
• National Education Association
• National Hispanic Medical Association
• National Network for Public Health Institutes
• North American Quitline Consortium
• Oncology Nursing Society
• Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVe)
• Prevent Cancer Foundation
• Public Health Solutions
• Respiratory Health Association
• Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
• Society for Public Health Education
• Students Against Destructive Decisions
• The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
• Trinity Health
• Truth Initiative
• U.S. PIRG
• Unite to Prevent Cancer