Lawmakers want the government to get the word out about the dangers of teenage vaping, and they want e-cigarette companies to pay for it.
Under a bill introduced Friday, e-cigarette makers and importers would pay a quarterly fee to the government, just as tobacco companies do, that would pay for anti-vaping campaigns in schools. The measure is expected to collect $200 million per year, which would be directed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
“Importantly, this legislation requires the e-cigarette companies — not taxpayers or consumers — to foot the bill,” said Illinois Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who introduced the legislation in the House with New York Republican Rep. Peter King.
States would apply with the CDC to get the funding, and then use it to pay for the prevention programs. They’ll send materials home to families, educate teachers, and launch social media campaigns. They will also use the funding to help students hooked on e-cigarettes to quit.
The bill, called the PREVENT Act, comes as vaping among teenagers has climbed, with leading health officials in the Trump administration referring to it as an “epidemic.” Government surveys show that about 5 million teenagers are using the devices and that Juul, the e-cigarette that looks like a USB drive, is particularly popular for them. Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who introduced the Senate version of the bill, called the situation “out of control.”
Krishnamoorthi, who has another bill that would reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in e-cigarettes, has launched an investigation into Juul Labs in his role as chairman of an oversight committee.
[Read more: E-cigarette users warn Trump that the real culprit is THC vaping]
With the latest idea, the lawmakers are taking a page out of the public health playbook that the U.S. government used in the 1970s, when it launched massive education campaigns to warn the public about the dangers of smoking. Steady efforts in the decades since have yielded results: In 2018, only 3.6% of teens reported they smoked, compared with 28.8% in 1976.
But now officials are mostly concerned about the long-term effects of vaping, which aren’t known, and about children getting hooked on nicotine, which might also lead them to use other substances.
President Trump had initially said he would ban flavored e-cigarettes but has since backed off that commitment, and it’s not clear what action the administration will take. Various health groups and members of Congress have urged stricter limits on flavors, which they say entice teenagers by marketing the fruity and candy-like flavors.
Separately, public health officials are dealing with an outbreak of lung illnesses linked to vaping THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana. The illness put at least 2,409 people in the hospital and killed 52, and appears to be linked to counterfeit products with vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent that is added to vapes. While teenage vaping and the illness aren’t linked, the issues have been conflated by officials to crack down on e-cigarettes.
