Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that it would soon act to remove flavored vaping products from the market:
“FDA’s announcement that it will ban flavored vaping products is long overdue and I hope it’s implemented swiftly in order to begin to reverse the sharp increase in youth nicotine addiction, including the 78 percent increase in e-cigarette use by high school students from 2017 to 2018.
“This announcement underscores the urgency of responding before we lose a new generation to a lifetime of nicotine addiction. That’s why Congresswoman Shalala and I introduced comprehensive legislation earlier this year to reverse the youth tobacco epidemic, which includes flavor bans in addition to a raise on the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21 and a ban on non-face-to-face sales.
“Yesterday, the Energy and Commerce Committee announced a subcommittee hearing on the public health impacts and regulatory authorities related to e-cigarette manufacturing, sales and use. I look forward to hearing from FDA directly on this proposed ban as well as the Administration’s response to the nationwide outbreak of vaping related illness that has sadly claimed six lives and left hundreds hospitalized."
Earlier this year, Chairman Pallone and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) introduced comprehensive legislation to address the youth tobacco epidemic that includes a ban on all characterizing flavors of tobacco products, including menthol.
The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on Sept. 25, on the public health impacts of e-cigarette manufacturing, sales and use. Witnesses at the hearing will include representatives from FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state health officials.
