Top Democrat calls on FDA head to ban e-cigarettes or resign

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin called on Ned Sharpless, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration, to resign if he does not ban e-cigarettes in 10 days, following reports of a third death related to the devices.

“It is my strong belief that, if you do not take decisive action within the next 10 days, you should resign your post,” Durbin, a senator from Illinois, said in a letter sent Friday to the acting commissioner. “If you continue to refuse to do your job — which is to protect the public health — then it is time to allow someone else to take the helm.”