DeLauro Statement on Alarming Vaping Statistics Among CT High-Schoolers

NEW HAVEN, CT (October 11, 2018) – Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement upon the release of new data from the Connecticut Department of Public Health showing that vaping among high school students has more than doubled since 2015, from 7.2% to 14.7%.

"The statistics released by Connecticut's Department of Public Health confirm what we have seen firsthand—vaping among teenagers is at an epidemic level. Big tobacco companies have immorally targeted our children with deceptive flavors and social media advertising with little regard for their health or safety. While the FDA has recently stepped up enforcement against these companies, there is still much more that must be done. At the top of that list, FDA should ban the more than 15,000 flavors that are currently on the market and crackdown on products that have been illegally sold without a premarket review. Furthermore, Congress should immediately take up my legislation, the Stop Tobacco Sales to Youth Act, which would require age verification for the online sale and delivery of tobacco products."

Earlier this year, DeLauro re-introduced the Stop Tobacco Sales to Youth Act, which would close federal loopholes to keep children safe from tobacco products by requiring that Internet and mail order sales of e-cigarettes are treated the same way as traditional tobacco products. Under federal law, people can buy cigars, hookah, and e-cigarettes online, by mail, or on the phone, without facing any age verification requirements.