Senators Dick Durbin (D) from Illinois held a press conference and announced legislation which seeks to place heavy restrictions vape flavors.
Incoming Flavor Ban
Everyone has been talking about a possible flavor ban of vape juice in the past six months or more, particularly with the ANPRM (proposed rule changes at the FDA to restrict flavored tobacco products) along with Commissioner Gottlieb's recent comments.
There has also been an increase in calls for flavor bans from Attorney Generals from around the United States and cities such as San Francisco have outright banned flavored e-liquids.
Last week, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, along with 8 other state AGs, urged the FDA to ban flavored vape juice. Massachusetts AG Maura Healey took the to announce she is launching an "investigation" into JUUL's marketing practices.
Now Senator Dick Durbin (D) of Illinois has held a press conference with the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health and others to announce legislation to "crack down" on flavors that are "kid friendly".
When the people who make these products, like JUUL, insist this is just for adults to quit smoking tobacco products-- bologna, you wouldn't be pedaling these flavors to adults
Durbin is calling his legislation, which is co-sponsored by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R), the SAFE Kids Act which would place heavy restrictions on e-cigarette flavors and completely ban flavored tobacco in cigars.
The legislation would require companies to be able to prove that the flavor they wish to sell does not appeal to minors are really for smoking cessation. It remains unclear how companies would be able to prove such a thing.
They [kids] know that cigarettes kill and that, nowadays, it’s hard to find someplace where smoking cigarettes is even allowed. But, I am convinced that e-cigarettes represent the ‘re-invention of smoking,’ cooked up by Big Tobacco to hook a new generation.
Senator Durbin is no stranger to pressuring the FDA to ban e-cigarettes, calling the devices "candy-flavored poisons" in a 2014 letter sent by a group of Senate Democrats to the then commissioner.