[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Calling e-cigarettes a possible pathway to traditional cigarettes and other
tobacco products, five U.S. Senators today called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue deeming regulations asserting regulatory authority over
tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, and to restrict the sale, distribution and marketing of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products to children and young adults. Though the number of U.S. adults who have tried e-cigarettes has doubled since 2010 and limited research has raised consumer safety concerns, the nicotine delivery
devices are currently not required to be evaluated or approved by the FDA.
Todays letter was signed by the following:
U.S. Senators .... Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI).
Unlike traditional tobacco products, e-cigarettes can be legally sold to children and are not subject to age verification laws, the Senators wrote. E-cigarettes marketed to appeal to kids in candy and fruit flavors, like bubblegum and strawberry, are readily available to youth in shopping malls and online. These products risk addicting children to nicotine, which could be a pathway to cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Tobacco use is the number one cause of death in the United States. Every year, tobacco use kills 443,000 Americans accounting for one in five deaths. The U.S. Surgeon General, the CDC, and the National Cancer Institute have concluded that smokeless tobacco causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases. Smoking costs the United States about $193 billion each year in health care expenses and lost productivity.
Text of todays letter is below.
