Michigan Attorney General part of group asking the FDA to protect kids from e-cigarettes

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do more to protect kids from e-cigarettes.

Nessel’s suggestions include limiting the flavors that draw kids in, reducing nicotine levels to prevent addiction, and protecting young people from marketing.

“Nicotine use by our young people has reached epidemic levels,” Nessel said. “We need impactful tobacco regulations that protect our youth from the dangers of e-cigarettes and marketing tactics that target them with products flavored to taste like fruit and candy. We must act to regulate young people’s exposure to these products and take robust enforcement actions against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who ignore the law.”

More than 9,000 types of e-cigarette devices are sold in the United States, and nearly 6,000 of those are disposable devices. Last year, 14 percent of high school students reported that they were currently using e-cigarettes. Teen nicotine consumption is linked to nicotine poisoning, mental health and behavioral problems, academic issues, and future addiction to other substances.