Durbin Slams FDA On Failure To Regulate E-Cigarettes, Synthetic Nicotine, Calls On Administration To Finalize Public Health Measure To Ban Menthol Cigarettes

Floor Speech

“I know this President cares deeply about the toll of cancer. It has touched his family personally, as it has mine. If we want to make a difference in the health of Americans—and set a legacy for future generations—then the Administration must finalize this public health measure to end Big Tobacco’s predatory promotion of menthol cigarettes. Lives hang in the balance.The FDA is now 28 months past the original court-ordered deadline to complete this review. That is not only unacceptable, it’s embarrassing. Here’s why that’s a problem. The law is clear that no vaping or tobacco product can be on the market without first proving to the FDA that it is, ‘appropriate for the protection of public health.’ Yet, thousands of products continue to flood store shelves and addict America’s children, without having met that bar of proof. The FDA has the power and responsibility to protect public health by enforcing this pre-market review requirement, but it appears to be giving Big Tobacco a free pass. Since then, FDA has failed to issue a single marketing denial for a synthetic nicotine vape application. And worse, e-cigarettes using synthetic nicotine are now the most popular tobacco products used by children. The consequences for our children are devastating. According to the Surgeon General, e-cigarettes can damage the lungs, heart, mental health, and parts of the brain that control attention and learning."

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