Shaheen Welcomes Trump Administration Support For E-Cigarette Company Fees to Fund Prevention Efforts

**Proposal Put Forward in the President’s FY2020 Budget is Very Similar to Senator Shaheen’s E-cigarette Youth Protection Act Which Would Charge E-Cigarette Companies User Fees Similar to Those Levied on Big Tobacco**

(Washington, DC)—U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after the Trump administration proposed in its fiscal year 2020 budget charging e-cigarette companies user fees to help fund prevention and regulatory efforts to address the surge in e-cigarette use, particularly among young people. This proposal is very similar to legislation recently introduced by Senator Shaheen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), e-cigarette use among high school students rose from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 20.8 percent in 2018 – a nearly 1400% increase. Increased nicotine consumption is linked with many health risks, including nicotine addiction, liver damage, increased heart rate and blood pressure and insulin resistance. E-cigarette use is also linked to lung damage, including a disease known as “popcorn lung” whereby a chemical found in some vape “juice” causes a thickening and narrowing of air sacs in the lung. 

“The increase in e-cigarette use among youth is staggering and the potential health effects are deeply disturbing,” said Shaheen. “I’m glad the Trump administration is weighing in and making it clear that it’s past time to tackle the crisis of youth e-cigarette use. I hope to work with the administration as I rally bipartisan support for my legislation in Congress. We all have a responsibility to protect the next generation and make them aware of the health risks associated with e-cigarettes. We need an aggressive approach that educates on the facts and cracks down on the culprits.” 

Similar to current fees imposed on traditional cigarette manufacturers, Senator Shaheen’s legislation would require e-cigarette manufacturers to pay a user fee to fund efforts to increase public awareness of the risks of e-cigarette use, particularly outreach to children, as well as enforcing regulations, which includes recently imposed rules that ban flavored products being sold in retail settings and imposing heightened age verification standards online.  These fees on e-cigarette manufacturers would be assessed based on each company’s U.S. market share.  

The text of the legislation can be read here.