WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen rules keeping e-tobacco products away from children. In April the FDA released a proposed rule that would ban e-cigarette sales to minors, a step DeLauro had previously urged.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg DeLauro urged her to:

·         Finalize that rule by April 25, 2015

·         Ban “child-friendly flavorings” such as chocolate or bubble gum and “youth-oriented marketing practices” such as celebrity endorsements

·         Require child-proof packaging on “containers of highly concentrated nicotine that are inserted into e-tobacco devices. ­­­­­­­­­­­­According to the CDC, reports of harmful e-cigarette exposures have risen dramatically since 2011, and over half of such cases involve children.

·         Ensure premium cigars are subject to the same standards as all other forms of tobacco.

“I encourage you to draft a rule that emphasizes curbing the use of nicotine among our nation’s youth,” DeLauro wrote to Hamburg. “As you know, recent research indicates that, while cigarette use has fallen among children and adolescents, many more of our young people have sought out alternative sources of nicotine such as hookah, electronic devices and cigars…Further, many children falsely believe these nicotine delivery devices are healthier alternatives to cigarettes.”

DeLauro sits on the subcommittee responsible for funding the FDA. Congress gave the FDA the authority to regulate e-cigarettes under the 2009 Tobacco Control Act, which DeLauro cosponsored. Data shows that in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students across the country had tried e-cigarettes.