Malia Obama grew up in the public eye. She is the eldest of the two daughters of former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Born in 1998, she was still only 10 when her father was sworn in for his first term as President. As such, she and her younger sister Sasha became well known throughout America and beyond.
While the attention on Malia and the rest of the family has understandably receded since January 20th, 2017, when President Obama left office, they are still capable of pulling some headlines. You might think that applies more to the ex-President and his wife than the girls. However, Malia created some headlines of her own recently when she was spotted vaping while out and about in London.
She was snapped enjoying an electronic cigarette while on a night out with her boyfriend in London. Yes, London – her boyfriend, Rory Farquharson, is from the UK. Malia is about to resume her studies at Harvard, no less, so she was clearly enjoying some downtime before the serious work began. Perhaps more surprising was the huge fuss made over the fact she was vaping. We wonder whether the headlines would have been bigger still if she was spotted smoking?
Enjoying the relative freedom of London
Some reports pointed out Malia was probably enjoying the fact she could vape without fear of being fined or hassled in London. The vaping laws are stricter in the US, so 20-year-old Malia will be unable to legally buy her vaping supplies once she returns to Harvard. The state of Massachusetts will only allow over 21s to make such a purchase.
Barack Obama had trouble trying to quit smoking when he got the top job. He eventually used gum to help him quit, since e-cigs weren’t around when he became President. It’s unclear whether Malia is vaping to quit smoking, but if she is, we congratulate her. No doubt she has noticed how much easier it is to vape in the UK as opposed to the US. State laws can vary from one place to the next in America – something we don’t need to worry about here.
What are your thoughts on Malia being snapped vaping? Is it a good thing that might encourage smokers to make the switch, or do you believe she is a private person who should be left alone? Let us know your thoughts below.
