House Energy and Commerce Chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) recently introduced the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019, new legislation aiming to address the sharp rise in tobacco and e-cigarette use among young people.

"The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act makes clear that we will not tolerate the proliferation of slick new products purposefully designed to appeal to young people to get them addicted to nicotine and tobacco," said Pallone. "Congress must act to reduce youth nicotine addiction by making it clear that selling tobacco products to kids is illegal…We cannot afford to wait. We are on the cusp of losing an entirely new generation to a lifetime of nicotine addiction."

The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 is strongly supported by the ACC and a wide array of other public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and more. Highlights of the legislation include:

• Requires FDA to finalize a rule requiring graphic health warnings for cigarette packages within 12 months;
• Extends FDA regulations on the sale, distribution and use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to all deemed tobacco products, including e-cigarettes;
• Raises the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 years and makes it unlawful for any retailer to sell a tobacco product to any person younger than 21 years of age;
• Directs FDA to prohibit non-face-to-face sales of all tobacco products including e-cigarettes and e-cigarette accessories;
• Prohibits all characterizing flavors of tobacco products, including menthol;
• Provides FDA with authority to collect user fees from all classes of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes;
• Instructs FDA to issue a final rule on the regulation of products containing synthetic nicotine or nicotine that is not made or derived from tobacco;
• Makes it unlawful to market, advertise or promote any e-cigarette products to individuals under the age of 21; and,
• Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue an annual report to Congress on the domestic sales, advertising and promotional activity of cigarette, cigar, smokeless tobacco and e-cigarette manufacturers.

"If a person does not start using tobacco products when they are young, it is less likely they will start as an adult," said Shalala. "Our bill takes concrete steps to limit the access and appeal of tobacco products to people under 21. At the end of the day, our main goal is to reduce the number of kids using tobacco products in the U.S."

Clinical Topics: Cardiovascular Care Team, Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, Dyslipidemia, Prevention, CHD and Pediatrics and Prevention, Lipid Metabolism, Smoking

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Adolescent, Tobacco, Nicotine, Tobacco, Smokeless, Menthol, Tobacco Products, Flavoring Agents

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