DeLauro Statement on First Known Vaping-Related Death in CT, Announces Congressional Vaping Hearing

WASHINGTON, DC (October 3, 2019) —Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement after the Connecticut Department of Health announced the first vaping-related death in Connecticut.

"The news of Connecticut's first known vaping-related death is heartbreaking—all the more because it was entirely preventable. For years, the FDA has abdicated their regulatory responsibility by allowing dangerous e-cigarette products to remain on the market without any review of their health effects. Their job is to protect the public's health, and there is no greater failure than today's tragic news. FDA needs to take these products off the market immediately."

As Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, DeLauro will be holding a hearing on October 16, 2019 to examine the increasing risk of e-cigarette use on public health.

In September, DeLauro sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless urging them to take e-cigarettes off the market amidst the current outbreak of lung illnesses and deaths.