Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wants to raise the minimum age to buy e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 and also ban flavors in an attempt to curb rampant use among minors.
The Food and Drug Administration has already floated banning sales of e-cigarettes in convenience stores. Major e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs announced Tuesday that it will halt sales of its flavored e-cigarette products to convenience stores and vape shops.
But Blumenthal told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that wasn’t enough.
“There needs to be stronger enforcement and generally I think the age limit needs to be raised, which the FDA perhaps cannot do alone,” Blumenthal said, hinting that an act of Congress would be needed to raise the age limit.
The FDA and lawmakers are concerned that flavored products entice use among minors and get them addicted. The agency has cracked down on 17 e-cigarette liquid manufacturers for marketing kid-friendly flavors that resemble candy and cookies.
Blumenthal said in a statement after Juul’s announcement that he wasn’t swayed by the e-cigarette manufacturer’s voluntary action.
“If anything, today’s announcement proves why FDA must move forward immediately and decisively to ban all flavors regardless of where or how they are sold and begin aggressively regulating the sale of these e-cigarettes,” he said.
Blumenthal added that the FDA should come to Congress and say how much money is needed to effectively enforce the law.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has hinted at a ban on sales of e-cigarettes like Juul in convenience stores, which are the main way that kids gain access to them, if e-cigarette manufacturers don’t come up with a plan to crack down on use among minors.
[Also read: FDA eyes crackdown on flavored cigars]
