Florida Governor: Don’t Use Vaping Products Unless You’re Trying to Quit Smoking

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is not making empty statements; he genuinely does not want you to do this.

DeSantis defends your right to use electronic cigarettes, but that does not mean he wants you to develop the habit.

On Saturday, at a gathering in Fort Dodge, Florida Governor discussed his views on vaping.

"Regarding this vaping issue, you shouldn’t use it. If you don’t smoke, you shouldn’t start vaping. It’s not good for you. But I find that those who have smoked and are addicted, when they switch to vaping, it is less harmful to them compared to traditional cigarettes," DeSantis said.

"So, you know, if someone can take harm reduction measures, I don’t think the FDA should ban that. I believe adults should have the ability to make that choice. Clearly, kids should not have access to any of these things," DeSantis added.

DeSantis made similar comments in November.

"If someone switches from smoking cigarettes to vaping, it is actually much less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes. So these people are addicted to nicotine, and that’s their choice. If you allow that bill to pass, many of them may go back to smoking cigarettes. That would be completely counterproductive," DeSantis said regarding vaping.

The governor's comments on vaping came against the backdrop of his opposition to a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes. (It should be noted that the White House has not committed to banning menthol cigarettes, but it is a priority for the FDA.)

"I know they are trying to do something like banning menthol cigarettes, which I oppose," DeSantis said on Saturday. "But when they want to ban menthol cigarettes, all that does is create a black market."

In this stance, DeSantis is not alone in Florida politics. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio wrote a letter to the FDA in July warning that banning these products from legal sale could lead to a black market filling that void. U.S. Representative Jared Moskowitz believes that banning menthol cigarettes could lead to Hamas and Hezbollah filling the market void by selling banned products.