'Why aren't we banning cigarettes?' E-cigarette entrepreneur asks
Concerned parents and multiple coalition groups are pushing to ban vaping products entirely.
States like New York, Massachusetts and Michigan already put down the hammer when it comes to legislation surrounding e-cigarettes, but one e-cigarette producer is questioning why there isn't a ban on actual cigarettes.
Charlie's Chalk Dust CEO, Brandon Stump, was quick to protest Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's recent decision to ban e-cigarettes for four months.
“It’s no surprise to me that we’re talking about flavor bans and how that’s appealing to the youth," Stump told FOX Business’ Liz Claman on “The Claman Countdown."
"I think the conversation between flavors and youth needs to be replaced with the access issue."
Charlie Chalk Dust is a company that specializes in flavored e-cigarette vapor-liquid, in flavors like peanut butter and strawberry-watermelon.
Prohibiting e-cigarette flavors was a first step towards decreasing children's interest in partaking in vaping, yet Stump believes a ban could lead to another problem altogether.
"What I can tell you is that 500,000 people are going to die this year from smoking combustible tobacco," Stump said.
"Why aren't we talking about banning cigarettes?"
Stump doesn’t want to be priced out of the market due to government intervention. When asked about how his products impact the lives of young Americans, Stump was quick to state it should be left in the president’s hands.
“President Trump needs to step in and do what he does best and make a swift decision that benefits the American people because, right now, what we’re talking about is getting rid of the solution to the problem," Stump said.
Stump noted how the vaping debate has become a political conundrum, where certain states are encouraging the ban to not only appease disgruntled constituents, but also to receive taxes on tobacco products.
“They just want their money so they can pay back their bonds," Stump said. "The only way they can do that is by banning this category in full so that the sale of tobacco would go up."
Changing the legal age from 18 to 21 could alleviate some stress parents and anti-vaping groups are facing, according to Stump.
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Regardless, banning e-cigarettes may also give rise to black market vaping products. Stump feels confident things will be sorted out if President Trump continues to take a stand.