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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019

First lady calls for end of

e-cigarette marketing to youth

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE creased significantly be- vaping solutions, oppose
Associated Press tween 2017 and 2018. the planned policy.
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Me- More than 1 in 4 high school Opponents argue the pol-
lania Trump said Monday students reported vaping in icy could create a "black
that companies "must stop" the past month, up from 1 market" for vaping prod-
marketing e-cigarettes to in 5 students in 2018 , ac- ucts and push adults who
children, saying they are cording to the latest statis- vape to resume smoking.
addictive and dangerous. tics. Mrs. Trump addressed a
Marketing tobacco prod- E-cigarette use among rally at the U.S. Drug En- First lady Melania Trump, applauds student awardees at a Red
ucts to kids is already pro- middle students also in- forcement Administration Ribbon Rally at the Drug Enforcement Agency in Arlington, Va.,
hibited in the United States, creased. headquarters to mark the Monday, Oct. 7, 2019.
and Juul Labs Inc., the na- Federal health officials start of the annual "Red Associated Press
tion's largest maker of elec- have called the trend an Ribbon Week" on Oct. 23,
tronic cigarettes, has said it "epidemic," and fear teen- an observance that came formed clubs in his name Most of those in the au-
will cease advertising them agers who vape will even- to be after the 1985 torture and pledged to live drug- dience wore the event's
in the U.S. tually start smoking. and slaying of DEA Special free lives. "red ribbon" pin but the first
Still, some believe Juul's Mrs. Trump said her visits to Agent Enrique "Kiki" Ca- "Red Ribbon Week" was for- lady did not wear one on
early online marketing of hospitals and rehabilitation marena in Mexico. malized in 1988. her sleeveless black dress.
e-cigarettes contributed centers have allowed her Americans began wear- Camarena's widow, Mika, Her office said she was not
to an explosion in vaping to see "the horrible results of ing red ribbons to honor attended the rally. Students given a pin by DEA staff
among youth. drug abuse." Camarena's sacrifice, and seated in the auditorium before entering the audito-
Mrs. Trump said "it is impor- She pledged to "continue schools in the region of rose and recited a pledge rium with acting administra-
tant to me that we all work to address addiction as California where he lived to stay away from drugs. tor Uttam Dhillon.q
to educate children and long as it affects our chil-
families about the dangers dren, our youth and our
associated with this habit." schools."
"Marketing this addictive The Campaign for Tobac-
product to children must co-Free Kids said it was
stop." grateful for the first lady's
The first lady promotes an message and called on
anti-drug message through the administration to imple-
the "Be Best" youth initiative ment its plan and quickly
she launched in May 2018. remove all flavored e-ciga-
She and the president have rettes from the market.
a 13-year-old son, Barron. "Flavors have been a key
Last month, Mrs. Trump part of the industry's strat-
tweeted her concerns over egy for marketing to kids
the "growing epidemic of and have fueled this epi-
e-cigarette use in our chil- demic," said Vince Will-
dren." more, a spokesman for the
She later joined President advocacy group.
Donald Trump when he Juul has pledged not to
announced from the Oval lobby against the Trump
Office that U.S. health au- administration's planned
thorities will act to ban flavor ban.
thousands of fruity and Other industry representa-
other flavorings used in e- tives, such as the American
cigarettes. Vaping Association, which
Federal statistics show vap- represents makers and re-
ing among teens had in- tailers of e-cigarettes and