Democrats in Congress have summoned President Biden’s head of the Food and Drug Administration to testify on the issues of youth vaping rates and health.
WASHINGTON — Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, was asked by Congressional Democrats to testify on the current status of the ongoing youth vaping epidemic and other solutions moving forward.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, scheduled the hearing for June 23, 2021. It will be a hybrid hearing entitled “An Epidemic Continues: Youth Vaping in America.” “This hearing will examine the scope of the youth vaping epidemic and the role of the federal government in addressing youth e-cigarette use and addiction going forward,” notes a statement from the subcommittee.
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of determining which, if any, e-cigarettes will be allowed [to] stay on the market. All e-cigarette manufacturers were required to submit Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs) to FDA by September 9, 2020, in order to legally stay on the market. FDA is now evaluating those applications and is required to complete review by September 9, 2021. FDA’s decisions on the PMTA applications will determine the course of the youth vaping epidemic, and this hearing will examine FDA’s approach,” the subcommittee announced.
This is also a crucial appearance for acting commissioner Woodcock, given the fact that this hearing will be one of the most important updates on the youth vaping epidemic after COVID-19 and the global pandemic.
This is the subcommittee’s fourth hearing examing the youth vaping epidemic in the United States. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, is also scheduled to testify on these efforts, too. Durbin is a strong advocate for the policy of banning electronic cigarettes and other flavored tobacco and nicotine products.
A live stream of the hearing will be available on YouTube and on the website for the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
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