President Trump hosted a lunch at his Jupiter golf club where tobacco executives, including leaders from Altria and Reynolds American, pressed the administration to loosen e‑cigarette rules. The meeting drew the attention of FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and other senior health officials, sparking a rapid policy shift.

Within a week, the FDA issued guidance that could allow major players to sell flavored vapes, targeting a $6 billion e‑cigarette market currently dominated by illicit Chinese products. The guidance bypassed the usual rule‑making process, sidestepping scientific reviews that had barred flavored offerings.

Dr. Makary resigned, stating he could not remain head of an agency endorsing the new policy. Health and Human Services staff drafted the plan after support from Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and CMS head Dr. Mehmet Oz, who had been pressured by the tobacco lobby during the lunch.

The move could shift roughly 30 million U.S. consumers from illicit vapes to regulated products, giving Altria and Reynolds a chance to recapture market share. With cigarette sales still topping $50.8 billion annually, the policy may reshape the industry’s revenue mix and weaken the illicit Chinese supply chain.