Bipartisan legislation to place strict limits on use of flavors in tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and cigars, has been introduced in Congress, with a goal of making them all less appealing to youngsters.
The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act or the SAFE Kids Act, was introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Dick Durbin, D-IL.
It would require manufacturers who want their products to remain on the market to prove to the Food and Drug Administration that their e-cigarette flavorings help adults to quit smoking, do not increase youth initiation of nicotine or tobacco products, and do not increase the risk of harm to those using that flavor.
Murkowski’s official noted than more than 2 million teenagers used e-cigarettes last year, a 653 percent increase from just five years ago, making them the most commonly used tobacco product among youths.
