WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today released the following statement after the CDC published data revealing an increase in e-cigarette use by high school and middle school students:
“The latest data released today by the CDC shows that the vaping crisis is worsening, with more than one quarter of high schoolers and 10.5 percent of middle schoolers reporting they have vaped in the past 30 days. To reverse this deadly trend, the Administration and Congress must act without any more delay to ban flavors that appeal to kids and prevent vaping cartridges from being adulterated with substances that kill. A continued failure to act in the face of this data would be unconscionable.”
Background:
- Two weeks ago, Senator Romney participated in a White House meeting on the vaping epidemic with the President, industry representatives, and health advocates where he urged action to ban flavors that entice youth.
- At Dr. Hahn’s confirmation hearing, Senator Romney urged him to support a flavor ban. He met with Dr. Hahn earlier in the month to discuss the issue.
- In September, Senators Romney and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Ending New Nicotine Dependencies (ENND) Act, which would regulate e-cigarette standards and protect public health by prohibiting non-tobacco flavors and ensuring that electronic nicotine delivery systems are tamper-proof.
- In June, Senators Romney and Mark Udall (D-NM) introduced the Smoke-Free Schools Act of 2019 to ban e-cigarette use in educational and childcare facilities.
- In April, Romney helped introduce the bipartisan Tobacco to 21 Act, legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to anyone under the age of 21.