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Will banning flavored e-cigarettes actually work?

President Trump and the FDA are proposing to ban flavored e-cigarettes, but with so many underground suppliers, will a ban actually work?

MINNESOTA, USA — The growing concerns about vaping led to President Trump and the FDA announcing a move to ban flavored e-cigarettes from stores.

RELATED: Trump to propose ban on flavorings used in e-cigarettes

A recent survey by the CDC shows around 25% of high school students use e-cigarettes on a regular basis and many experts argue the flavoring is the main reason behind it.

It’s a bold move to straight up ban all flavored e-cigarettes from stores, but will it actually work?

History has taught us taking things away from people doesn't always work, just look at prohibition, we all know how that turned out, but at ClearWay Minnesota they use another example, cigarettes.

“We have seen youth use of cigarettes go down to record low levels in the last number of years and a lot of that was due to the policies that were put in place,” ClearWay Minnesota spokesman Mike Sheldon says.

The numbers agree, teens are smoking fewer cigarettes than ever before.

According to the CDC, the number of high school students smoking cigarettes has gone done nearly 50% since 2011.

However, over that same time period, teen e-cigarette use has gone up by nearly 1,500%.

"Youth use of e-cigarettes has unfortunately skyrocketed in the last few years,” Sheldon says.

“It's important that bold action be taken to tackle this problem."

But is a ban the way to go?

Looking back at prohibition again, once alcohol became illegal, an underground market emerged, because people still wanted to drink.

This underground market led to increased crime and increased health problems with consumers drinking alcohol that was often made in unsanitary conditions.

Will the same thing happen with flavored e-cigarettes?

The concern is there, that once stores stop selling flavored e-cigarettes users will simply buy them from unregulated and unsafe suppliers.

Sheldon says it’s a concern but argues the benefits of an all-out ban far outweigh the risks.

RELATED: Inside MN's vaping lung injury investigation

“You know, we’ve seen that argument being put fourth when there were lots of other tobacco control policies that were put in place and usually it just doesn’t come to fruition. It just doesn’t lead to a problem,” Sheldon.

The FDA is still finalizing its plan to ban flavored e-cigarette flavorings.

The agency is hoping to release that plan in the coming weeks.


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