Recently, Dick Durbin, the Majority Whip of the US Senate and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed disappointment at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving four menthol e-cigarette products for sale in the United States through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway. This authorization marks the FDA's first approval of non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products.
The parliamentarian's statement is as follows:
A large tobacco company is using menthol and other flavors to mask the harsh taste of its dangerous products. The FDA has learned from its own experience of seeking to ban the production of menthol cigarettes to protect public health. We have seen children start using nicotine with menthol flavors. Today's approval of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes will create more opportunities for children to become addicted to harmful products.
Earlier this month, a committee hearing was held in Debin on the topic of "Combating the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use through strengthened enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes." The hearing highlighted concerning levels of youth e-cigarette use, the role of flavors like menthol in youth tobacco product use, and reviewed federal agencies' failure to enforce laws aimed at protecting children from lifelong nicotine addiction.
Deb has always been an active advocate against tobacco giants, especially after his father passed away from lung cancer when he was 14. During his time in the House of Representatives, he has been dedicated to combatting big tobacco companies and advocating for smoking bans on airplanes, extending to restaurants, office buildings, trains, and other public spaces. Deb has also led efforts to grant the FDA authority over tobacco, increase tobacco taxes to prevent youth smoking, and strengthen support for cessation tools.
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