Trump to hear from ‘all sides’ in meeting on youth vaping rates Friday

President Trump will meet Friday with stakeholders on the issue of youth vaping, the White House announced Wednesday. 

A “diverse” group of advocates, industry representatives, nonprofits, medical associations and state officials will attend the meeting, White House spokesman Judd Deere said Wednesday.

“As the president has said, there is a serious problem among our youth and their growing addiction to e-cigarettes,” Deere said in a statement. 

Trump and his top health officials announced in September the administration would clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes that critics say appeal to children, such as fruit and mint. 

But The New York Times and other outlets have reported Trump backed off of that proposal, fearing political blowback. 

“The policymaking process is not stalled — it continues to move forward,” Deere said.

“This meeting will allow the President and other Administration officials an opportunity to hear from a large group, representing all sides as we continue to develop responsible guidelines that protect the public health and the American people.” 

An estimated 27.5 percent of high school students and 10.5 percent of middle school students said they had used e-cigarettes in the past month, according to one of the studies conducted by government researchers.