Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Maloy Lead Bipartisan Effort Urging the FDA to Crackdown on Illegal E-Cigarettes Targeting Children
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (R-UT), co-chairs of the bipartisan Caucus to End Youth Vaping, sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary urging stronger enforcement against illegal e-cigarette products that are fueling youth nicotine addiction. The effort for greater enforcement comes as more than 6,000 flavored e-cigarettes, many of them targeted and advertised at children and young people, remain available for purchase online and in stores, despite the FDA having only authorized the sale of 34 e-cigarettes.
“These products come in a large variety of youth-appealing flavors, such as pink lemonade, cotton candy, and bubblegum,” the lawmakers wrote, noting that 87.6 percent of youth users reported using flavored products, and 70.3 percent cited flavors as the reason they vape. “Some of the latest e-cigarette products now have built-in video games and smartphone-like features…allowing kids to play video games, send text messages, and use social media.”
“We applaud Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Maloy and their colleagues for their leadership in urging the FDA to prioritize efforts to continue reducing youth use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. We join them in calling on the FDA and other federal agencies to utilize all tools at their disposal to prevent youth tobacco use, including enforcement actions to prevent illegal e-cigarettes from being imported, distributed, and sold in the United States,” Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said.
The lawmakers pointed to widespread youth e-cigarette use and the aggressive marketing of products with high nicotine levels and kid-friendly features in the letter. In 2024 alone, over 1.6 million youth, including nearly eight percent of high school students, used e-cigarettes, with 42 percent of high school users reporting frequent or daily use. The lawmakers also expressed their concern about the recent layoffs at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, warning that a smaller staff will make a crackdown on these illegal e-cigarettes challenging. The lack of enforcement opens the door for Big Tobacco to shackle more young people to addiction and the numerous health hazards and chronic diseases that come along with it, such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
Joining Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Maloy in drafting the letter were Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Kennedy (R-UT), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Blake Moore (R-UT), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).
The full letter is available here.