Whitmer's Claims That Vaping Companies Market To Children

Earlier this week, a statewide e-cigarette ban was executed by Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer - a person trying so hard and with a heart in the right place, if that place is an undying desire for publicity. The Governor is placing a ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products. Following her media blitz concerning her decision, a few videos popped up on YouTube with Whitmer placing her reasons out in the open. I think we should play devil’s advocate here and interrogate her claims with some counter arguments.

In this video, the governor makes the following claims:

1. The flavor is created to appeal to children. Flavors like bubble gum, froot loop, and Mott’s apple juice are, by design, targeting children.
2. The vaping companies create these flavors to get children addicted and create consumers out of them so they can make money at the risk of children’s health.
3. These children have brains that haven’t finished forming that are growing addicted to nicotine.
4. These children are not replacing traditional cigarettes with vaping, they are starting a nicotine habit from scratch.

In this other video, the governor makes more claims:

1. Misleading advertising that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking.
2. They’re marketing e-cigarettes right next to the candy.
3. 81% of young kids start vaping with a flavored product.
4. Kids are inhaling nicotine and other chemicals that are taking them to the hospital.

 

Let’s unpack each of these:
 

“The flavor is created to appeal to children. Flavors like bubble gum, froot loops, and Mott’s apple juice are, by design, targeting children.”

 

The assumption here is: “Only children love those flavors.” I am not a child and I like froot loops and bubble gum. Does this mean adults don’t like bubble gum?

 

 

“Vaping companies create these flavors to get children addicted and create consumers out of them so they can make money at the risk of children’s health”.

Piggybacking on the previous statement, a similar assumption takes place here. The vaping companies supposedly create these flavors with the PURPOSE of getting these kids hooked so they can make money. That is unlikely, because, again, adults like those flavors. 

 

“These children have brains that haven’t finished forming that are growing addicted to nicotine”.

It’s true. The youth of America is “juuling” about. But where are the parents? If the purchasing age for these products is 18 (or 21, in some states), how are these kids getting their grubby hands on e-cigarette products? Why don’t start there? As for children consuming nicotine, that is nothing that we, as a community, desire for young kids.

 

“These children are not replacing traditional cigarettes with vaping. They are starting a nicotine habit from scratch”.

Again, where are the parents? Who’s selling these to minors?

 

“Misleading advertising that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking”.

 

“They’re marketing e-cigarettes right next to the candy”.

This is somewhat true. If you go to a gas station, you could discover a pack of JUUL pods next to the Snickers bars. Don’t know if it adds legs to her assumptions, though.

 

“81% of young kids start vaping with a flavored product”.

I don’t think many people want to begin vaping with a tobacco-flavored e-cigarette when you have other delicious options. Again, not targeted to children, only targeted people who have taste buds and desire some flavors over others.

 

“Kids are inhaling nicotine and other chemicals that are taking them to the hospital”.

The kids vaping in the restroom are inhaling nicotine and other chemicals, but these are not the same kids being admitted to hospitals because of the severe lung illness cases she’s referring to. These users were hospitalized following the use of illicit THC products, not flavored e-cigarettes, which turns her argument totally invalid.

We could spend a lot more time unpacking everything she said, but here’s a start. A quick glimpse into the mind of an attention-seeking fearmonger that just wants more votes under the guise of “caring for children.” Even if her intentions were pure, her lack of investigation makes her another anti-vaping zealot.