As an FDA ban on Juul devices approaches, Fox News presenter Sean Hannity promised to break the law and boldly vape his e-cigarette live on television.
The allegations were aired by Hannity, 60, on his show on June 22 during a discussion with journalist Trace Gallagher.
‘Juul has been attempting to get on the right side of regulators by limiting its marketing and banning mango, mint, and other sweet flavors,’ Gallagher said to the show.
Even a vaping gadget that requires a 21-year-old to unlock was offered by the business.
Although Juul has the option to challenge a ban, he pointed out that doing so can be costly and time-consuming.
When Hannity intervened, he said, “They can come and jail me.
They can outlaw it, and I’ll do it live on TV.” How about that?
While the Biden FDA wants people to avoid vaping, many Democratic-run cities and states have no problem decriminalizing even hard narcotics, even as overdose deaths are on the rise, Hannity said as he quickly switched to the next piece, drawing laughter from Gallagher.
The only state where people democratically approved the decriminalization of minor amounts of hard drugs so far is Oregon.
On Hannity’s lead-in program, “Tonight with Tucker Carlson,” the impending ban was also discussed.
Carlson suggested on his show that the prohibition of e-cigarettes will result in weight gain and low testosterone.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on the impending Juul e-cigarette ban.
The report refers to a ban on Juul products rather than a total ban on all e-cigarettes.
Although the FDA has not verified the validity of the WSJ report, the removal of Juul products from shelves could happen as soon as this week.
The FDA has been looking at Juul’s data for two years, and the ban is probably the result of the regulatory agency believing that Juul is still targeting young people in America.
Juul submitted an application to the FDA in an effort to continue operating and marketing its menthol and tobacco-flavored goods.
Hannity attacked the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” policy on the same broadcast, comparing it to the phrase “Settle for less and shut your mouth.”
If Hannity kept his promise, it wouldn’t be the first time the host had vaped on air. Hannity was observed taking a brief puff in between parts in March 2021.
Hannity could be heard exclaiming, “Uh oh,” as he took the vape out of his mouth after realizing he was being recorded.
After the slip-up, Laura Ingraham, whose show airs after Hannity’s, informed her coworker: “It happens to the best of us, Hannity.” I mean, those tiny details are adorable.
The real Hannity has those in his everlasting reel. We want to get to know you!
Similar footage of Hannity smoking an electronic cigarette during his show surfaced in May 2017.
Following the release of the video, the host posted on Twitter that he had recently quit smoking cigars.
Hannity was cited as saying: “If you were hearing what I’m hearing, you’d be vaping, too” during Donald Trump’s administration, when the host was seen as a crucial counselor to the 45th president.
The passage may be found in the 2020 book “Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth,” by CNN host Brian Stelter.
Stelter claims that Hannity also referred to Trump as being “bats**t crazy.”
The fruit-flavored nicotine products made popular by younger smokers helped Juul soar to fame in the U.S. in the 2010s; as a result, the firm is also held responsible for rising teen smoking rates.
The FDA outlawed fruit-flavored e-cigarettes and required each manufacturer to submit a separate application in order to keep their products on the market in an effort to reduce the growth in teen smoking. J
uul’s application was anticipated to be accepted.
The announcement of plans to cut nicotine levels in cigarettes to “non-addictive” levels as part of a larger effort to eliminate smoking in America came a day after the Biden Administration announced those goals.
Juul has marketed its products as tools that can assist people who are addicted to nicotine gradually wean themselves off in a safe manner because vaping devices do not generally have as many drawbacks as traditional cigarettes do.
However, several of its products’ fruity and minty scents have instead encouraged many kids and teenagers to start smoking, even though they probably would not have done so otherwise.
Due to this, the FDA has recently focused its attention on Juul and the e-cigarette industry as a whole.
The organization outlawed menthol cigarettes in April 2021 and all varieties of flavored cigars.
Fruit and mint-flavored refillable e-cigarette cartridges were also prohibited, however the sale of disposable cartridges is still permitted.
Since the taste of tobacco is one of the main factors preventing individuals from starting to smoke, flavored goods are frequently the focus of legislation since they are simpler for people who do not already smoke to utilize as a gateway.
It is important for younger smokers who use vaporizers like Juuls.
Even if they might not like the taste of nicotine, it is much simpler to become addicted to the fruity, delectable flavors.
The FDA stated in a statement last year that “[the prohibitions last April] will help save lives, particularly among those who are disproportionately affected by these lethal items.”
“By taking these steps, the FDA will greatly lower youth initiation and boost the likelihood of quitting smoking.”
According to the new regulations, the FDA must first provide approval before a manufacturer can put a fruit- or mint-flavored refillable gadget on the market. The FDA has already rejected hundreds of such devices.
Many businesses started using synthetic versions of the medication in their devices to avoid these orders and evade authorities. In April, that gap was sealed.
More than 2.5 million kids in the United States used a tobacco product of some kind in 2021, according to a report released in March by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes nicotine delivery systems that do not distribute tobacco.
According to officials, disposable e-cigarettes and cartridge devices, like a Juul, account for 80% of tobacco consumption.
Approximately 2.06 million high school students, or 13% of the study’s participants, and 4% of middle school students, or 470,000 participants, indicated “current” tobacco usage.