This post originally appeared at https://thestarnewsnetwork.com/2025/04/05/commentary-sen-ashley-moodys-vape-misinformation-hurts-public-health/

by Michelle Elliott

In a recent hearing before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) grilled President Trump’s nominee for FDA Commissioner, Dr. Martin Makary, about the e-cigarette marketplace. Relying on misinformation from anti-tobacco and vaping groups like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Moody perpetuated the false narrative that Chinese-made vapes are “flooding” the U.S. market and accused the FDA of “burying its head in the sand” instead of addressing so-called “chemically ridden” e-cigarettes.

This hearing underscored the stark reality facing tens of millions of adult vapers and smokers: public health groups and Big Tobacco are both working toward the elimination of independent vaping products—one side seeking an outright ban, while the other fights to maintain a marketplace controlled by a handful of corporations. The result? A policy landscape that could wipe out the consumer-driven innovation that made modern e-cigarettes a powerful harm reduction tool.

Sen. Moody has long pushed rhetoric which creates confusion about vapor products. In 2024, in her capacity as Florida Attorney General, Moody warned that “illicit vapes … could contain fentanyl.” In the recent Senate hearing, Sen. Moody doubled down – avowing that “protecting our children from illicit vapes is a top priority of mine.”

Yet, this priority seems unfounded. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth vaping is at its lowest level in a decade. In fact, between 2019 and 2024, the percentage of U.S. middle and high school students who were vaping decreased by 70.5 percent, from one in five youth vaping (20 percent), to only 5.9 percent in 2024. To put in perspective, in 2023, 7.7 percent of adults were vaping – or 26.5 percent more adults were vaping.

While Moody decries flavors like “strawberry blow pop” and “watermelon” as an affront to public health, she ignores the fact that adults prefer flavored vapes. A survey of nearly 70,000 American adult vapers found that most use fruit or dessert flavors. Scientific research suggests that these flavors improve smoking cessation rates, making them a vital tool in reducing cigarette use.

In Florida, CDC data indicates that 7.6 percent of adults—over 1.3 million Floridians—vaped in 2023, a 24.6 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, national youth vaping rates fell by 18.1 percent between 2022 and 2023. The real vaping epidemic isn’t among teens; it’s among adults switching from smoking to vaping.

Moody’s concern over flavored e-cigarettes stands in stark contrast to the widespread availability of flavored alcohol products marketed to adults. In 2022, Bud Light Seltzer ran a Super Bowl commercial celebrating the “Land of Loud Flavors.” Major alcohol brands like SVEDKA vodka offer an array of flavors, from blue raspberry to mango pineapple. If flavor alone were enough to entice youth, alcohol use among teens should be skyrocketing—but it isn’t.

In fact, the Monitoring the Future survey found that in 2021, 25.8 percent of 12th graders reported past-month alcohol use, compared to 19.6 percent who reported past-month e-cigarette use. Clearly, other factors influence youth consumption patterns, not just flavor availability.

Despite claiming to prioritize public health, Moody is advancing a narrative that ultimately benefits Big Tobacco. Her arguments align with those of major cigarette companies, which continue to lobby for restrictive e-cigarette regulations that effectively block independent vape businesses while ensuring their own products remain available. It’s maybe no coincidence that Moody’s campaign has received funding from these same companies.

Interestingly, she cited a 2023 report from the New England Journal of Medicine warning about youth overdoses—a journal that, in 2019, published research showing e-cigarettes are twice as effective in helping adults quit smoking.  It’s clear that Moody picks and chooses scientific findings to fit her anti-vape agenda.

The data tells a different story: vaping is helping people quit smoking. In Florida, from 2016 to 2023, adult vaping rates rose by 61.7 percent, while smoking rates dropped by 32.3 percent. This correlation suggests that as more people have access to vaping, fewer are smoking combustible cigarettes—a major win for public health.

Yet, while Moody fixates on youth vaping, she overlooks a critical factor: why teens vape in the first place. According to the CDC, the most commonly cited reason is stress, anxiety, or depression—not flavors. Banning flavors won’t address these root causes, nor will it stop youth from experimenting with substances.

The alarmist narrative around “Chinese vapes” is nothing new—it’s a well-worn tactic to push restrictive regulations that favor corporate interests over harm reduction. If policymakers are serious about reducing tobacco-related harm, they should reconsider the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which has stifled innovation and limited adult smokers’ access to less harmful alternatives.

Instead of relying on fearmongering, lawmakers like Sen. Moody should embrace policies that encourage responsible vaping regulation while protecting access for the millions of adults who rely on these products to quit smoking. Until then, the fight for harm reduction remains an uphill battle against misinformation and corporate influence.

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Michelle Elliott is a vaping advocate based out of Florida.
Image “Sen. Ashley Moody” by CSPAN.

The post Commentary: Sen. Ashley Moody’s Vape Misinformation Hurts Public Health first appeared on The Star News Network.