U.S. Health Secretary Rachel Levine Takes a Hit From Vape Pen
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Since 2021, Admiral Rachel Levine has been the 17th Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Rachel Levine is an American pediatrician who is also an admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
On top of her role as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Levine is also a notable and influential figure for being one of the few openly transgender government officials in the United States. She is also the first transgender person to hold a role that requires the Senate’s approval.
But why is she an important part of this story and to your involvement in the vape industry?
Earlier this year, Dr. Levine was spotted taking a hit from a vape pen before discussing the transmissibility of new Covid variants and the government’s strategies for improving health outcomes in disadvantaged communities.
Not a lot was said at the time, but we think it’s particularly important to note that adult consumption is very different from underage vaping, as made clear by Dr. Levine’s use of the product and by one of her earlier tweets from 2019.
She has also made it very clear that vaping-related lung injuries are life-threatening and she also emphasizes how important it is for parents to talk to their children about the dangers of vaping. This is without ever mentioning the repression of adult vaping. Even more so, making it especially clear that the possible risks of vaping are strongly tied to illegally obtained products.
While she also mentioned that legally purchased products also carry potential risks, it has to be said that this was a time when regulating agencies were just adapting to the vape industry and the 2019 lung injury epidemic was in full throttle.
Closing Thoughts
Dr. Levine’s stance on vaping and her use of vape pens allow us to draw the conclusion that as long as you’re a responsible adult, vaping and one’s health should be a decision left to the person doing the vaping and not to a third party. Whether you decide to take a hit, regardless of its flavor, is a decision that no one else should be allowed to make for you. While we do believe, like Dr. Levine, that underage vaping should and needs to be dealt with, we also feel that adult consumption is a choice that adults can make for themselves.
