Washington (AFP)
US President Donald Trump announced Friday he wants to raise the minimum age to buy electronic cigarettes in the United States from 18 to 21 years old.
His statement is part of a broader plan to reduce youth vaping, which will be unveiled "next week".
"We are going to announce a very important initiative on vaping, we have to take special care of our children, so we are going to have an age limit of about 21," the billionaire told reporters.
But at the same time he expressed his concern about the impact that too heavy restrictions could have on the future of this nascent industry.
His administration could reconsider his plan to ban pure and simple flavored electronic cigarettes, announced in September.
"We have to look after a lot of people, including jobs," said the New York billionaire. "It's become a big industry, we'll take care of it."
The sector is under the spotlight in the face of an e-cigarette-related lung disease epidemic that has claimed more than 2,000 patients in the United States, including 39 deaths, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. .
© 2019 AFP