February 4, 2020 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on reporting that the administration’s incomplete ban on certain flavored e-cigarettes is failing to prevent underage users from vaping:

            “Barely a month ago, the administration announced a partial ban on flavored e-cigarettes with glaring loopholes. I joined my colleagues at the time in warning that those loopholes would simply shift underage users from Juul to other devices not covered by the ban.

            “Now, three weeks later, the New York Times reports that’s exactly what’s happening. Teenagers are still using the same flavored products like banana, watermelon, cherry and unicorn that are marketed to children. The only difference is the delivery device.

            “I’ve repeatedly called for a complete, comprehensive ban on all flavored e-cigarette products and shutting down online sales of these products to minors.

            “There are bills pending before the Senate that would do both. We must pass them before another generation of teenagers end up addicted to nicotine for life.”

Background:

• Senator Feinstein is a cosponsor of the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids (SAFE Kids) Act, a bill introduced by Senator Durbin (D-Ill.) to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.

• Feinstein also introduced the bipartisan Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act last year with Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

• Specifically, Feinstein’s bill would require e-cigarette online retailers to verify the age of customers for all purchases, require an adult with ID to be present for delivery, label shipping packages to show they contain tobacco products and comply with all state and local tobacco tax requirements.

• Shortly after the administration announced its ban, Senator Feinstein warned in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle that it fell short and would fail to stop underage vaping.
  Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein