Statement of Kathy Crosby, Truth
Initiative CEO and President
WASHINGTON, July 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly announced campaign by
Ohio Attorney General
Dave Yost to combat the flood of illegal e-cigarettes
streaming into the state represents an important step to protect
youth and young adults from the dangers of nicotine addiction and
should serve as an example for other attorneys general across the
nation. Attorney General Yost's press release made it clear
that unless an e-cigarette is authorized by the FDA, the device is
illegal. To date, the FDA has authorized only 27 e-cigarette
products, all tobacco or menthol flavored. Yet thousands of illegal
e-cigarettes, many in youth-appealing flavors like cotton candy or
gummy bear, remain on store shelves across the country. Retailers
bear a pivotal responsibility in curbing youth e-cigarette use in
their communities and must swiftly remove these products to ensure
a safer future for our young people.
As AG Yost points out, this is a consumer protection issue, and
the thousands of unregulated, unauthorized vapes on the market pose
a significant health threat. Truth Initiative research
shows that between 2017 and 2022, disposable e-cigarettes
nearly tripled in nicotine strength, quintupled in e-liquid
capacity, and dropped in price by nearly 70% — all at the expense
of young people's physical and mental health. The result is that
youth e-cigarette use remains a serious public health threat, with
the latest National Youth Tobacco Survey showing more
than 2 million high school and middle school students use
e-cigarettes, with one in four vaping daily. Not only is nicotine
harmful to developing brains, but the high rates of daily use are
also suggestive of a nicotine addiction.
"I am so proud of the courage and dedication that AG Yost has
shown in protecting Ohio's
children by taking on the illegal vaping industry. His actions will
save many young lives from a lifetime of nicotine addiction to a
very dangerous product," said Truth Initiative Board Chair and
former Attorney General of Mississippi, Mike
Moore. "Hopefully, other Attorneys General will follow his
courageous lead in this important effort."
Truth Initiative applauds the Ohio AG for taking this important
step and stands ready to assist other attorneys general across the
country who want to protect youth and young adults from the
serious, lifelong health consequences of nicotine addiction.
Kathy Crosby is in Columbus, Ohio, and available to speak to
press.
About Truth Initiative®
Truth
Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization
committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering
healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to
prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower
quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading
cessation EX Program and the nationally
recognized truth® public education
campaign, we are leading the fight against youth and young adult
tobacco use, which threatens to put a new generation at risk of
nicotine addiction. Our first-of-its-kind text message quit vaping
program, This Is Quitting, has enrolled over 750,000 young people
across the country, and our youth e-cigarette prevention
curriculum, Vaping: Know the truth®, is
currently implemented in over 9,000 schools nationwide, reaching a
total of over one million students thus far. Our rigorous
scientific research and policy studies, community and youth
engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using
tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment continue to
contribute to ending one of the most critical public health battles
of our time. Based in Washington,
D.C., our organization was established and funded through
the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from
46 states, five U.S. territories, and the tobacco industry. To
learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.
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SOURCE Truth Initiative