Murray Calls on Food and Drug Administration to Take Swift Action on Tobacco Following Court Ruling

Federal court rules against FDA’s decision to delay review of newly regulated tobacco products, including e-cigarettes

CDC study found one-in-five high school students using e-cigarettes as of 2018

Murray: “As youth tobacco rates skyrocket… it’s clearer than ever we can’t afford for the Food and Drug Administration to drag its feet on protecting our kids from a new generation of tobacco products.”

Murray has repeatedly called on FDA to prohibit the use flavors in e-cigarettes unless or until a thorough FDA review shows they benefit public health

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after a federal court ruled yesterday that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acted illegally when it delayed the regulation of newly regulated tobacco products like e-cigarettes.

“Yesterday a court ruled the Food and Drug Administration was wrong to delay regulation of newly regulated tobacco products, like e-cigarettes. As youth tobacco rates skyrocket—with as many as one-in-five high school students using e-cigarettes—it’s clearer than ever we can’t afford for the Food and Drug Administration to drag its feet on protecting our kids from a new generation of tobacco products. As we look for steps to address the crisis of youth tobacco use, I’m going to keep pushing the Food and Drug Administration to do more and develop a plan on this issue that offers decisive action rather than unnecessary delay.”

Last December, Senator Murray also led a letter to FDA calling on them to take action to prohibit the use of kid-appealing flavors in e-cigarettes until or unless they have undergone a thorough FDA review that shows they benefit public health.

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