Biden’s failure to crack down on unauthorized vapes from China could be liability in 2024: Poll

EXCLUSIVE — The Biden administration’s failure to crack down on the increase of unauthorized vaping devices coming into the United States from China could become a political liability for the president as he seeks a second term in 2024, polling shows.

A majority of female voters in three key swing states disapprove of the way President Joe Biden has addressed the influx of electronic cigarettes into the country, putting the president at a possible disadvantage with a key voting bloc ahead of the 2024 cycle, according to a recent poll by Morning Consult shared exclusively with the Washington Examiner. Instead, female voters say they preferred former President Donald Trump’s approach to banning foreign vapes, which could become a political liability for not only Biden in 2024 but also vulnerable Democrats seeking reelection in the House.

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“President Biden’s failure to crack down on Chinese vapes is a political liability. It is causing young people to literally die,” a House Republican campaign operative told the Washington Examiner. “Expect House Republicans to make this an issue going into 2024 of vulnerable Democrats.”

The poll surveyed female voters in North Carolina, Arizona, and Pennsylvania about the Biden administration’s efforts to remove unauthorized Chinese vapes from the U.S. market, which has nearly tripled in sales over the last three years, according to data obtained from the Associated Press. The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has skyrocketed to over 9,000, the data show, with that increase being almost entirely driven by unauthorized disposable vapes coming in from China.

A majority of female voters in all three states say Biden should take action to remove these vaping devices, including 70% in Arizona, 77% in North Carolina, and 83% in Pennsylvania, according to the survey. Most of those same voters say Trump “did the right thing” by seeking to ban flavored vapes in the U.S., pressing Biden to “finish the job” to get the disposable devices off the market.

The polling comes more than three years after the Food and Drug Administration vowed it would begin to crack down on vape flavors that are targeted toward teenagers.

The numbers demonstrate the FDA’s inability to control the tumultuous vaping market more than three years after declaring a crackdown on child-friendly flavors. However, the FDA’s failure to do so could become a political flashpoint in 2024, especially among mothers.

“This is a potent issue for Senate races because it’s new information for voters, and moms hate it,” a Senate campaign manager told the Washington Examiner. “Expect Sens. [Sherrod] Brown, [Jon] Tester, [Joe] Manchin, and [Bob] Casey to face ads asking why they’re not stopping China from poisoning kids.”

Biden is now expected to roll out a ban on menthol cigarettes and other flavored cigars, following through with a proposal that was first floated by the FDA in spring 2021. The ban will be finalized over the next 30-90 days and could be published as early as Nov. 13.

Some groups, such as Keep New Hampshire Free, have already started hitting Biden over that proposed ban, arguing such a move would only lead to an increase in illicit sales.

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“What has gone up thanks to Massachusetts’ ban on menthol cigarettes is the size of the state’s illicit market,” the group said on its website. “All the ban did was funnel millions in tax revenue out of the state and increase illicit trade. In fact, the ban has been considered such a failure that Massachusetts politicians are already openly considering a repeal.”

The Morning Consult poll was conducted in conjunction with Communities United for Smart Policies between Oct. 16 and 30 and surveyed 509 female voters across Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.