According to a report from RedState , e-cigarette industry executives have denounced the federal government's efforts to eliminate youth e-cigarette use as a form of abuse of government power.
“Let's look at the facts. Let's be clear: youth e-cigarette use in the United States has been dramatically addressed,” said Tony Abboud, a litigation lawyer and government relations expert who has worked on tobacco and smoking issues for more than 25 years.
“Overall, youth e-cigarette use has plummeted 61 percent since 2019, thanks in part to federal legislation raising the purchase age for all tobacco products to 21, legislation that the Vapor Technology Association has championed with the White House and Congress,” he said.
“The hearing was designed as a showcase for Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), who has made it his personal mission to eradicate e-cigarettes.”
“In a January 16, 2024 letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf, Durbin blasted the FDA’s hesitancy to ban the sale of nicotine in non-tobacco products.
“The FDA's repeated failure to meet its own announced projections demonstrates that the agency is not meeting its obligations under court orders. With these delays and no end in sight, there is simply no reason for the FDA to allow unapproved e-cigarettes to continue on store shelves. The FDA currently has the tools and authority to remove unapproved products from the market, yet the agency continues to allow unconditionally many e-cigarette products that are harming the health of our nation's children.”
“E-cigarettes have been a pet project of conservatives for a decade, a movement spearheaded by Grover Norquist, founder and president of the Coalition for American Tax Reform. Norquist argues that e-cigarette users are apolitical and part of a lifestyle and subculture more associated with Democrats, allowing Republicans to turn them into voters.”
To read the full RedState article, click here.
