It Looks Like Donald Trump Isn't Doing a Vape Ban, After All

Indeed, though the War on Vaping cost the world cool mint Juul pods this month, it looks like flavored e-cigarettes will be spared overall. The New York Times reports that though the Trump initially planned to announce an e-cigarette ban initiative on November 5, he canceled the rollout, and though the anti-vape camp had hoped he’d revisit the ban last week, he did not. Point: vape lobby.

Per the Times:

[H]e is concerned about his chances in 2020, and allies working for the vaping industry have told Mr. Trump of battleground state polling of his own voters that showed the issue costing him support.

One such poll was commissioned by John McLaughlin, one of the Trump campaign pollsters, for the Vapor Technology Association. The poll, which surveyed battleground state voters who vape, showed negative results for Mr. Trump if he went ahead with a ban, and was passed around to a number of people in Mr. Trump’s circle, including Brad Parscale, his campaign manager, and senior White House officials.

Of course, this particular pivot poses an interesting quandary. On the one hand, this is good news for flavored vape fans, and for the many folks who turned to e-cigarettes in an effort to wean themselves off cigarettes. (It is less good news for teens who vape, since though doctors say vaping is better for you than smoking, it’s not exactly healthy.)

On the other hand, it sounds like there might exist a parallel future universe, one in which a flavored vape ban cost Trump re-election. Would you trade mango Juul pods for blessed defeat? A Sophie’s Choice, indeed.