Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier issued the following statements, applauding the FDA announcement of its decision to deny JUUL's Premarket Tobacco Applications (PMTA), declaring that these devices do not meet the agency’s public health standards and “may have played a disproportionate role in the rise of youth vaping."
“In 2019, I launched an investigation into the youth vaping epidemic, quickly finding that JUUL successfully marketed and sold its highly addictive product to kids, jumpstarting and perpetuating the youth vaping crisis which has harmed so many," said Chairman Krishnamoorthi. “Heeding the advice of public health scientists and other experts, last year I called on the FDA to deny JUUL’s PMTA applications for both kid-friendly flavored products and its especially addictive high-nicotine products because of the risk they pose to young people. Today, I applaud the FDA for following the science and for clearing the market of the JUUL products that have led countless young Americans to a potential lifelong addiction to nicotine."
“The FDA’s decision is a victory for public health and a win in the fight to end the youth vaping epidemic," said Congressman DeSaulnier. “While banning products from bad actors like JUUL that got children hooked on e-cigarettes is a great first step, the FDA needs to remove all e-cigarettes from the market until they have been properly reviewed, which is why I’ve authored the Preventing Vape Use Act that would mandate the FDA to do so."
Since 2019, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy has held four hearings on the youth vaping epidemic in America and JUUL’s role in fueling the crisis and released new information showing how JUUL deliberately targeted children to get them hooked on their products.
On Jan. 2, 2020, Chairman Krishnamoorthi condemned the Trump Administration’s weakened vaping guidance, which broke the former President’s promise to protect America’s youth by clearing the market of all e-cigarette flavors, including menthol.
On Jan. 23, 2020, the Chair sent a letter to FDA about its plans to enforce the Trump Administration’s partial ban on flavored vaping pods, requesting the FDA monitor, in real time, the large number of children who will migrate to menthol e-cigarettes from other now-banned flavors.
In April 2021, the Chair applauded FDA’s announcement of its plan to ban menthol cigarettes to protect public health and contribute to racial justice.
On Feb. 15, 2022, Chairman Krishnamoorthi called on the new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, to act quickly and rule on all outstanding e-cigarette applications and ban all flavored e-cigarettes.
