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Illinois officials call for stricter vaping laws targeting teens

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Published  December 2, 2024 4:46pm CST
Health
FOX 32 Chicago

‘Our kids are not for sale’: Illinois officials want crackdown on vaping

A coalition of politicians, doctors, and law enforcement officials are calling for tougher laws to crack down on teenage vaping.

The Brief

    • A coalition of leaders is calling for tougher laws to address teenage vaping.
    • Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is investigating illegal vape imports from China.
    • Health officials stress the dangers of flavored vapes and the need for federal intervention.

CHICAGO - A coalition of politicians, doctors, and law enforcement officials are calling for tougher laws to crack down on teenage vaping.

They're also demanding action to stop the flood of flavored vape pens and cartridges from China.

"Our kids are not for sale," said Democratic Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. "We are not going to allow them to be the targets of these e-cigarette makers or big tobacco any longer."

Krishnamoorthi joined Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital to demand tougher laws to curb what they call an "epidemic" of teenage vaping.

"These devices are made to encourage people to continue to addiction," said Dart. "And they're doing a very good job at it."

They say recent studies show more than 1.6 million middle school and high school students are actively using e-cigarettes, the majority of them favoring flavored vapes that contain highly addictive nicotine.

"Many youths inaccurately believe that when they use these cigarettes, they are simply inhaling harmless water vapor," said Lurie Children’s Hospital pediatrician Dr. Maria Rahmandar. "Unfortunately, that cannot be further from the truth."

Krishnamoorthi is also launching a congressional investigation into China's efforts to flood the U.S. market with illegal vaping products, which he says are even more dangerous.

"These vapes, we have no idea what they contain because they're being manufactured in facilities that are not in any way being inspected by the FDA. They are sourced from companies with shadowy principals and owners."

Dart expressed frustration with the lack of clarity from federal regulators over what's legal and illegal, saying it’s tying his hands when it comes to seizing products.

"How many letters we've sent to them saying listen; just so we have clarity here, we're not asking for any state secrets here, can you just give us the list of what's legal and what's illegal? Literally nothing. We get nothing back," said Dart.

Both Cook County and the City of Chicago have already banned all flavored nicotine products, but health officials say they're still easily available to teenagers online. They say that's why it's up to the federal government to get serious about cracking down.