DeLauro Urges Administration to Finalize Rules Keeping E-Tobacco Products Away From Youth

Comes On Heels of New CDC Data Showing Growing Popularity

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan to finalize a rule that would ban e-cigarettes from being sold to minors. In April, DeLauro urged Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff to finalize the rule, after the proposed rule had already been languishing at the FDA for over a year.

“It has now been over six years since Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act; yet, there are still many kinds of tobacco products that remain unregulated and youth are using those products at disturbing rates. Last Monday OMB received the final ‘deeming rule’ from FDA that would bring all tobacco products under FDA’s jurisdiction, including cigars, e-cigarettes, and hookahs,” DeLauro wrote to Donovan. “We have been waiting nearly two years for this rule to be finalized. Our children cannot wait any longer – I urge you to clear the final deeming regulation before the end of November.”

The letter can be read in its entirety here.

This morning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing that e-cigarette use is most popular among young adults aged 18 to 24. E-cigarettes are now the most used tobacco product by high school students. The FDA first announced plans to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes nearly five years ago.

DeLauro sits on the subcommittees responsible for funding the FDA and CDC. Congress gave the FDA the authority to regulate e-cigarettes under the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which DeLauro cosponsored.



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