Ezivox

Ezivox

Congress feels heat to act on youth vaping

Pressure is building on Congress to act on rising youth vaping rates amid inaction from President TrumpDonald John TrumpDem senator says Zelensky was ‘feeling the pressure’ to probe Bidens 2020 Dems slam Trump decision on West Bank settlements Trump calls latest impeachment hearings ‘a great day for Republicans’ MORE.

House Democrats plan to pass a bill by year’s end that would ban flavored e-cigarette products they say helped to spark a teen vaping epidemic. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Democrats found themselves in rare agreement with Trump when he vowed to clear the market of those products two months ago, but he has since backed off after facing a backlash from vapers, conservative groups and the industry. 

“This White House has been co-opted by the tobacco industry,” Rep. Donna ShalalaDonna Edna ShalalaSanders doubles down on Bolivia ‘coup,’ few follow suit Overnight Health Care: GOP senator says drug price action unlikely this year | House panel weighs ban on flavored e-cigs | New York sues Juul Overnight Health Care: Trump officials making changes to drug pricing proposal | House panel advances flavored e-cig ban | Senators press FDA tobacco chief on vaping ban MORE (D-Fla.), the co-sponsor of the bill, told The Hill on Tuesday. 

“We’re going to pass a comprehensive bill. We’re not going to compromise,” said Shalala, who served as secretary of the Health and Human Services Department during the Clinton administration. 

Passing such a bill is likely to be a challenge — particularly in a divided Congress consumed by impeachment.

Shalala’s bill, which passed out of a key committee Tuesday and will get a vote on the House floor by the end of the year, would ban flavors in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes; raise the tobacco-purchasing age to 21; and ban all online tobacco sales.

Advocates are hopeful the measure, or portions of it, will make it into a year-end spending bill — which itself is the subject of pained negotiations between Democrats and Republicans.

If the bill does get out of the House, it faces an uncertain path in the Senate, where the Republican majority typically eschews government regulation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOvernight Health Care: GOP senator says drug price action unlikely this year | House panel weighs ban on flavored e-cigs | New York sues Juul McConnell hopes Senate impeachment trial ‘not too lengthy a process’ Former Speaker Boehner’s official portrait unveiled MORE (R-Ky.) has offered legislation that would raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21— a proposal Trump has also suggested. 

Asked whether Congress should pursue a flavors ban, McConnell declined to answer. 

“I’m going to focus … on raising the age to 21. That’s something everybody could agree on, something we ought to accomplish quickly,” he said. 

Sens. John CornynJohn CornynSenate passes legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters Hillicon Valley: Progressives oppose funding bill over surveillance authority | Senators call for 5G security coordinator | Facebook gets questions over location tracking | Louisiana hit by ransomware attack 2020 Republicans accuse Schumer of snubbing legislation MORE (R-Texas) and Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinGOP senator wants Violence Against Women Act passage by year end Hillicon Valley: Commerce extends Huawei waiver | Senate Dems unveil privacy bill priorities | House funding measure extends surveillance program | Trump to tour Apple factory | GOP bill would restrict US data going to China Senate Democrats unveil priorities for federal privacy bill MORE (D-Calif.) have offered legislation to require age verification for all online purchases of e-cigarettes. It would also require that an adult with an ID sign for the delivery. 

A Cornyn aide told The Hill he plans to push for Senate passage of the bill “soon.” A similar measure sponsored by Rep. Rosa DeLauroRosa Luisa DeLauroOvernight Health Care: Cigarette smoking rates at new low | Spread of vaping illness slowing | Dems in Congress push to block Trump abortion rule On The Money: Senate passes first spending package as shutdown looms | Treasury moves to roll back Obama rules on offshore tax deals | Trade deal talks manage to weather Trump impeachment storm Trade deal talks manage to weather Trump impeachment storm MORE (D-Conn.) passed the House last month. 

The percentage of teenagers who are vaping has doubled in the past two years, according to data released in September. 

An estimated 27.5 percent of high school students, and 10.5 percent of middle school students, said they had used e-cigarettes in the past month, according to one of the studies conducted by government researchers.

Anti-tobacco advocates like the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have pushed both the Trump administration and Congress to ban flavors to curb youth vaping rates. 

But they’ve run into opposition from conservative free-market groups, industry and pro-vaping advocates. 

Reporting from The New York Times and other outlets suggests Trump was swayed by the #ivapeivote campaign, in which vapers said they would not vote for the president in 2020 if he pursued a flavor ban. 

But members of Congress acknowledge there is more they could be doing to curb youth vaping rates. 

“They said two months ago they were going to do something about the flavors,” DeLauro told The Hill Tuesday. 

“This is a public health crisis, and we will take a look at what it is that we can do.”

Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyProgressive Democrats ramp up attacks on private equity Deval Patrick: a short runway, but potential to get airborne Ocasio-Cortez jabs ‘plutocratic’ late entrants to 2020 field MORE (R-Utah), who is sponsoring a Senate bill to ban flavored e-cigarettes, asked last week:, “Why haven’t we done anything about flavors?”

“If it were to pass, my presumption is we’d have a dramatic impact on reducing the number of kids that get addicted to nicotine,” he added. 

“We are looking for every vehicle we can to get a ban on vaping flavors,” Romney told The Hill on Monday.

Nathaniel Weixel contributed.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey