Durbin Statement On Trump's FDA Allowing JUUL E-Cigarettes To Stay On The Market, Addict Children
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized JUUL Labs to keep selling its e-cigarettes on the U.S. market, despite a 2022 federal denial and JUUL’s shameful history of deceiving and harming children for profit:
“For years, I have sounded the alarm on the dangers of the youth vaping epidemic and pushed FDA to use its enforcement tools, follow the law, and regulate these e-cigarettes. JUUL ignited this epidemic by addicting millions of children, and lied about the harms of their vapes—resulting in being forced to pay states nearly $1 billion for misleading promotion. Despite this shameful history, FDA ignored JUUL’s disqualifying conduct, unleashing a wave of disease and addiction on America’s children. It is clear that the Trump Administration does not care about our kids. Instead, they are giving the green light to Big Tobacco to continue lining their pockets by peddling poison.
“I call on FDA Commissioner Makary to immediately reverse this decision and will be launching an investigation into the troubling circumstances that led to this decision.”
Durbin has repeatedly called on FDA and the Justice Department to better enforce federal laws against the unlawful sale of unauthorized e-cigarette products. Durbin has slammed FDA for its continued lack of urgency as millions of children have begun using addictive e-cigarettes. For years, FDA has failed to regulate e-cigarettes—currently falling more than two and a half years past a court-ordered deadline to review applications from vaping companies, and refusing to enforce the law and take action against companies marketing illegal vaping products to children. Under the Tobacco Control Act (TCA), e-cigarette companies are required to obtain authorization from FDA prior to entering the market, which the agency has neglected to properly enforce.
Durbin has been a vocal leader in the fight against Big Tobacco, particularly since he lost his father to lung cancer when Durbin was 14. Durbin went after Big Tobacco when he served in the House of Representatives and led the charge to ban smoking on airplanes, which eventually led to restaurants, office buildings, trains, and much more. Durbin has also led efforts to grant FDA jurisdiction over tobacco, raise tobacco taxes to prevent youth initiation, and enhance support for tobacco cessation tools.
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