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A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 29 February 2020

House approves bill to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes

By MATTHEW DALY government survey, more selling loose, untaxed ciga-
Associated Press than 1 in 4 high school rettes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mov- students reported using "As Eric Garner's mother
ing to stem a vaping epi- e-cigarettes in the previ- knows all too well, in New
demic among young peo- ous month. Late last year, York a single cigarette
ple, the House approved a Congress approved a law can become a death sen-
bill Friday to ban the sale of raising the minimum age to tence,'' Clarke said.
flavored e-cigarettes and buy all tobacco and vap- Supporters said the House
other flavored tobacco ing products from 18 to 21 bill would have huge
products. nationwide. health benefits for teenag-
The bill would place new Opponents said the House ers who increasingly use e-
restrictions on the market- bill went too far, noting cigarettes and vape prod-
ing of e-cigarettes and ban that the new law raising the ucts with flavors such as
flavors in tobacco prod- age of tobacco use has mango, bubble gum and
ucts, including menthol been in effect for only two cotton candy.
cigarettes. It also would months. Earlier this year, E-cigarettes are battery-
place a new excise tax on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., displays an the Trump administration powered devices that
nicotine. advocacy ad that criticizes the tobacco and vaping industry issued rules that prohibit typically heat a flavored
The House approved the for allegedly targeting young African-Americans, during a news fruit, candy, mint and des- nicotine solution into an in-
bill, 213-195, sending it to conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 27, sert flavors from small, car- halable aerosol. They have
2020.
the Senate, where approv- Associated Press tridge-based e-cigarettes been pitched to adults as
al is considered unlikely. like Juul, the most popular a less-harmful alternative
The White House said in a Supporters, mostly Demo- vaping epidemic that offi- brand in the U.S. to traditional cigarettes,
statement that President crats, said the legislation cials fear is hooking a gen- Some members of the but there is limited data on
Donald Trump's administra- provides a comprehensive eration of young people Congressional Black Cau- their ability to help smokers
tion opposes the bill. strategy to reverse a teen on nicotine. In the latest cus said the proposal to quit.
ban menthol cigarettes More than 6 million Ameri-
could harm black smokers. can middle and high
African Americans smoke school students used some
menthol cigarettes at a far type of tobacco product
higher rate than the rest last year.
of the U.S. population, ac- "Tobacco companies will
cording to the federal Cen- not give up, but we will not,
ters for Disease Control and either,'' said Rep. Donna
Prevention. Marketing and Shalala, D-Fla., a former
promotion of menthol cig- Health and Human Servic-
arettes is heavily targeted es secretary who co-spon-
toward black smokers. sored the bill.
"White adult smokers would Vaping "is the public health
see little difference in their crisis of the 21st century,''
lives after this ban, while Shalala said, adding that
black smokers could face nicotine exposure during
even more sweeping ha- youth and young adult-
rassment from law enforce- hood is particularly dan-
ment if the hint of menthol gerous. Children who use
smoke can justify a stop" by flavored e-cigarettes likely
a police officer, said Rep. would not do so without
Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y. flavors that mask the prod-
"A ban that targets men- uct's harshness, she and
thol products but ignores other supporters said.
other premium tobacco "It's clear the tobacco in-
products unduly burdens dustry has employed the
the black community,'' said same tactics that they
Clarke, whose Brooklyn have used for decades
district is majority African to hook young people on
American. new versions of their prod-
Clarke invoked Eric Gar- ucts in order to generate
ner, a black New York man new customers that will be
who died after being put in addicted for life,'' said Rep.
a chokehold by police of- Frank Pallone, D-N-J., the
ficers who stopped him for bill's lead sponsor.q