In The News: Congress Calls for a Crackdown on Illegal E-Cigs

 

New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than 2 million middle and high school students use e-cigarettes and 1-in-4 young people admit to using tobacco products daily. Congress is taking a deep drive into the growing epidemic spurred by anti-tobacco activists adn teens who want to kick the e-cig habit. They are calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Justice Department to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes, according to an ABC News Report on June 13, 2024.🚬

High school student, Josie Shapiro, shared her struggles with e-cigs and nicotine directly with Congress urging lawmakers to ban all flavored tobacco products, “The first vape that I ever tried was a blueberry ice and I was 13 years old. I have tried to quit many times but it is hard because it’s everywhere. My friends started with vapes, the flavored tobacco products, and transformed into other drug use because it’s a gateway.”

Adding to the conversation, Senator Dick Durban of Illinois said, “If they could just hook a child at a young age, they have a customer for life. Twenty-three e-cigarette brands have been authorized for sale in the U.S., yet there are more than 6,000 e-cigarette brands on the market today.”

Leaders for the vaping technology association agreed that teens should not be using these products but they argued that Congress should consider tougher and stronger restrictions for marketing.🚭

The FDA says it has a system in place to review what is in the e-cigs that come from abroad but it is overwhelmed by a backlog of millions of applications submitted by vape companies seeking U.S. approval for their products. FDA Tobacco Chief, Dr. Brian King, said that they are making progress on reviewing the applications but more regulators and resources are needed.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Justice Department pledged more cooperation on this issue. They announced formation of a new task force to target illegal sales and distribution of e-cigarettes. FDA Tobacco Chief Dr. King shared, “We participated in a landmark joint operation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection resulting in the seizure of more than $18 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarettes.” The FDA also says it has issued more than 1,100 warnings to manufacturers and retailers for illegally selling unauthorized tobacco products.

Use of tobacco products in any form by youth is dangerous and addictive. We all need to work together on this issue to regulate, educate, and protect America’s youth from e-cigarettes, vaping, and other nicotine-laced products.

View the News Report

https://www.news10.com/washington/washington-dc/senators-grill-fda-about-vaping/

Link to CDC Report – November 2023

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/s1102-e-cigarettes-down.html