The chairmen of five key Senate committees warned the chief executives of major convenience stores and wholesalers to stop selling illicit flavored vaping products, which they called “widespread violations of federal law,” according to The New York Times.
The senators voiced their concerns in letters to the companies, amplifying the frustration among some lawmakers in Congress over the continued availability of disposable e-cigarettes. They say the vivid colors and candy flavors only attract kids. The unchecked sales, they wrote, “pose a tremendous public health threat.”
“FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] and the industry must do more to address the youth vaping epidemic and remove unauthorized vaping products from their shelves immediately,” Senator Dick Durbin said.
The letters were addressed to retailers including 7-Eleven, Circle K, BP America, Pilot, Kwik Trip and others. The FDA had earlier issued warnings about sales of unauthorized brands like Elf Bar, E.B. Design and Funky Republic.
“Today, millions of children use unauthorized e-cigarettes, risking nicotine addiction, respiratory illness, exacerbation of depression and anxiety, and many other harms,” read the letter to Joseph DePinto, the chief executive of 7-Eleven.
The other senators who signed the letter were Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown and Richard Blumenthal.