Democrats urge FDA to clear market of all flavored e-cigarettes

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to take all flavored e-cigarettes off the market.

The 43 House Democrats sent the letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock as the agency reviews premarket tobacco applications and flavored e-cigarettes.

“Flavored e-cigarettes are putting a new generation of kids at risk of nicotine addiction and the serious health harms that result from tobacco use,” states the letter drafted by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and released Tuesday.

The lawmakers want the FDA to ban all flavored e-cigarettes upon further review and nix the exemption the FDA has for methanol and disposable e-cigarettes.

Along with a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, lawmakers want a ban on premarket tobacco applications and the marketing of e-cigarettes that target minors.

“Today, e-cigarette use by youth remains at what FDA calls ‘epidemic proportions’ and e-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco products among youth since 2014 – and flavors are a key reason why,” the letter states.

The FDA has already put a ban on fruity e-cigarettes, but places like Puff Bar are trying to sidestep the ban by selling fruit-flavored disposable vaporizers that are advertised as having tobacco-free nicotine.

“We strongly recommend that FDA’s premarket review process require manufacturers to provide convincing evidence that their products do not increase youth use of nicotine and tobacco in ways that increase the risk of abuse and addiction among youth,” the lawmakers stated.