{"id":23550,"date":"2024-06-12T14:29:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T18:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/?post_type=press-releases&p=23550"},"modified":"2024-06-12T14:29:32","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T18:29:32","slug":"watch-sen-ossoff-presses-for-stronger-enforcement-against-illegal-e-cigarettes-being-sold-to-children","status":"publish","type":"press-releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/press-releases\/watch-sen-ossoff-presses-for-stronger-enforcement-against-illegal-e-cigarettes-being-sold-to-children\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: Sen. Ossoff Presses for Stronger Enforcement Against Illegal E-Cigarettes Being Sold to Children"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C<\/strong>. \u2014 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pressing for stronger enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes being sold to children across Georgia, pointing to several cases of kids being exposed to products laced with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff highlighted the stories of a child in Lee County who was hospitalized<\/a> after using a vape reportedly laced with THC and fentanyl and a 13-year-old in Whitfield County<\/a> who suffered a stroke and paralysis after reportedly using a brightly colored \u201cBlueberry Raspberry\u201d vape laced with THC and phencyclidine (PCP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sen. Ossoff asked what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are doing to strengthen enforcement and prevent the sale of illegal e-cigarettes and how the agencies can prioritize enforcement against products that are contaminated or that contain other deadly and illegal drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2019 report<\/a> by the FDA, over 5 million, or 28 percent, of high school students vaped using a nicotine product in the previous 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff\u2019s line of questioning.<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Please find a transcript of Sen. Ossoff\u2019s line of questioning below:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cThank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, to our witnesses. Mr. Rao, Dr. King, no flavored vape or e-cigarette products are currently FDA approved. Is that correct?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: <\/strong>\u201cThat\u2019s correct. Tobacco is a flavor, so, no non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes have been authorized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF:<\/strong> \u201cNo non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes, therefore, other flavors have been authorized. And under the TCA<\/em>, is it correct, Mr. Rao, that they are therefore not legal to sell in the United States?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: <\/strong>\u201cThat’s correct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cAnd yet they\u2019re widely sold in the United States?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: <\/strong>\u201cThat’s correct.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF:<\/strong> \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO:<\/strong> \u201cSenator, as we have discussed, it’s a complex issue in terms of the legal landscape. We are taking enforcement efforts on a number of vectors to try to address the problem. Principally, the Department has been engaged in defense of the FDA\u2019s marketing denial orders in district courts and courts of appeal across the country. That has been more than 80 cases to date, and we’ve prevailed in a dozen of those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition, we are working with the FDA and the U.S. Marshals Services on domestic seizures. There was a seizure earlier this year in Southern California in which 45,000 illegal cigarettes were seized. That\u2019s part of what we’re doing to try to combat this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe recognize that there’s more that can be done. We have brought a number of civil injunction actions as well, but we, as part of this task force that has been previously mentioned, we are looking to engage with law enforcement partners across the executive branch to do more in this area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF:<\/strong> \u201cThank you, Mr. Rao. So, none of the non-tobacco flavors \u2014 the flavors that are clearly, in my view, meant to appeal to kids are FDA approved \u2014 none of them are legal to sell in the United States \u2014 flavored products are still widespread in our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Georgia, a 2019 study found that 1 in 5 high school students had vaped, often drawn in by flavors and bright packaging, and because the products that some students are accessing are unregulated and illegal, they\u2019re sometimes laced with other drugs or contaminants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast March, in Lee County in Southwest Georgia, a student was hospitalized after using a vape reportedly laced with THC and fentanyl. And a 13-year-old in Whitfield County, Georgia, suffered a stroke and paralysis after reportedly using a brightly colored, \u2018Blueberry Raspberry\u2019 vape. The toxicology report was positive for THC and PCP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow will the department prioritize enforcement aimed specifically at those products that are contaminated or which contain other deadly and illegal drugs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: <\/strong>\u201cSenator, it\u2019s the highest priority for the department. We share your concerns regarding the health risks, with respect to vaping products, that may contain additional dangerous products, products, again, that often originate in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe department has brought criminal actions against individuals involved in the importation of counterfeit vaping related items, and we would look forward again to working with the task force to bring more such actions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cMr. Rao, what\u2019s your candid message for Georgia families right now who fear that their middle school or high school student may unintentionally and inadvertently vape and consume something like fentanyl or PCP?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO:<\/strong> \u201cI want to send the message that the Executive Branch is taking a very aggressive approach to trying to combat this problem, using all available tools and working closely with law enforcement partners to consider all potential avenues for enforcement against this threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cWhat does it look like to work with, for example, local law enforcement agencies in Georgia to make sure that there\u2019s not fentanyl in e-cigarettes and vape products that are being marketed to children?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: \u201c<\/strong>Certainly, the department and other law enforcement partners would appreciate the opportunity to engage with local law enforcement, which has…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cAre you doing it yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO: <\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s certainly something that our law enforcement partners are constantly considering, in terms of a potential option, and are always open…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cConsidering, but so \u2013 it’s not a trick question, just so I understand, so that I can be helpful in connecting your team with the right local law enforcement agencies in Georgia. Are you currently working directly with local law enforcement agencies to identify, for example, fentanyl-laced vape pens in Georgia or elsewhere in the country? Is that something that my office can help facilitate, that liaison between you and local law enforcement in Georgia?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MR. RAO:<\/strong> \u201cYeah, it’s certainly something that we would welcome facilitation on. I want to be sure that I’m providing correct information and connecting you with the right people. Again, you know, I know our law enforcement partners constantly work with local law enforcement in all of their matters and would welcome engagement from law enforcement partners in Georgia to combat this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEN. OSSOFF: <\/strong>\u201cThank you Mr. Rao. Thank you, Dr King.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

# # #<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is pressing for stronger enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes being sold to children across Georgia, pointing to several cases of kids being exposed to products laced with fentanyl and other dangerous drugs. Today, in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff highlighted the stories of a child in Lee […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23550","press-releases","type-press-releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/23550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-releases"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/23550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23554,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/23550\/revisions\/23554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ossoff.senate.gov\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}