U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with 24 Democratic colleagues, denounced the Trump Administration for failing to meet its promise to address the growing epidemic of teen e-cigarette use by removing non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes from the market. On September 11, 2019, President Trump announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would quickly finalize a compliance policy preventing the sale of unauthorized, non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes—including mint and menthol flavors—that are popular among children.
“With each day, more children continue to be lured to e-cigarettes by flavors such as fruit, candy, and mint or menthol,” the senators wrote Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. “We are therefore deeply troubled that there is no final compliance policy more than six weeks after the Oval Office announcement.”
The senators also expressed their concerns over reports that the FDA is considering exempting mint and menthol flavors, despite its promise to include them in the compliance policy. In the past year, e-cigarette use has increased by more than 75 percent amongst high school students, largely fueled by the appeal of products with flavors like candy, fruit, mint and menthol. Nearly two-thirds of youth that use e-cigarettes use mint and menthol products.
The letter was also signed by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Angus King (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Last month, Sen. Menendez laid out a five-point plan to curb vaping use, especially among teens, and reduce the risk of vaping-related illnesses, including cracking down on flavored e-cigarettes and calling for a moratorium on the sale and use of e-cigarettes and other vaping products until experts determine what’s causing the current public health emergency.
Full text of the letter is below.
Signed E-Cig Letter
If the Democrats really cared about our health they would ban tobacco as well. Why don’t they MONEY. The tobacco industry has many lobbyist with deep pockets. Half a million people die from tobacco but that means nothing to these Democrats all they want to do is fight with Trump. The only way to stop this madness is to vote out the Democrats
you demo cratic frauds! but marijuana is safe??
The E-Cigarette companies are in direct competition with the tobacco companies.
Tim Kaine has received $111,440 from the tobacco companies over the years. Robert Menendez, $61,100. Bob Casey, $56,295. Dick Durbin, $13,000. Sherrod Brown, $12,445. Jeanne Shaheen, $11,500. Corey Booker, $11,201. Kamala Harris, $11,020. Jack Reed, $7,005. Patty Murray, $5,900. Ron Wyden, $5000. Ed Markey, $5000. Sheldon Whitehouse, $4000. Patrick Leahy, $4,250. Mazie Hirono, $2,500. Elizabeth Warren, $2,459. Amy Klobuchar, $1,375. Holy Smokes! And some of these Senators are new to the scene, so I’m sure they’ll be racking up even bigger sums the longer they remain in office.
Yet all these democrats support abortion till birth.