US Senators Call for Major Retailers to Stop Selling Tobacco Products
A group of Democratic senators have drafted a letter encouraging large retail chains to discontinue the sale of tobacco items.
The senators penned this letter several months after they previously reached out to Walgreens regarding the company’s alleged distribution of tobacco products to minors. Walmart recently declared its intention to halt the sale of flavored e-cigarettes following the Food and Drug Administration’s ban announcement. Moreover, the FDA revealed earlier this year that numerous prominent pharmacies in the U.S. were unlawfully vending tobacco products. The senators are now focused on addressing two pressing public health crises in the nation. Firstly, they are concerned about the escalating rate of youth addiction to tobacco products. Secondly, they are alarmed by the increasing incidents of vaping-related lung diseases across the country, which have already resulted in eleven fatalities.
In the letter, the senators emphasized that products such as e-cigarettes, particularly those with enticing flavors appealing to children, have not been proven safe. They also highlighted that e-cigarettes lack evidence of effectively aiding in smoking cessation and lack the necessary mechanisms to guarantee safe usage. The senators underscored that these products are predominantly used by minors under 18, partly due to retailers’ failure to prevent their access to these items.
