“The newly announced e-cigarette flavors policy, which represents an alarming reversal from what the Administration promised, is weak and unlikely to have a meaningful impact on e-cigarette use by youth,” the wrote the politicians in their letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In the first week of January, the agency released the much anticipated guidance pertaining to flavoured vaping products. “Companies that do not cease manufacture, distribution and sale of unauthorized flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes (other than tobacco or menthol) within 30 days risk FDA enforcement actions,” reads the opening sentence.
Thankfully for vapers, large, tank-based vaping devices, which are primarily sold in vape shops and cater to adult smokers, were exempt from the ban. However, this and the fact that menthol flavours were exempt from the ban did not go down well with the aforementioned group of senior democrats. They said that these omissions will put millions of children at risk of addiction.
Urging the FDA to take further action
In their letter, the senators called on Hahn to scrap the new policy, and implement Trump’s earlier pledge to ban all flavours. “As the newly confirmed FDA Commissioner, you have the opportunity—and the obligation—to take meaningful action to address the ongoing youth vaping crisis. FDA’s recently announced compliance policy fails to prioritize children, families, and the public health ahead of industry objections,” they wrote.
Read Further: The Hill
Pressure grows on FDA for tougher ban, but advocates in Maine fight back against state lawmakers
