Blumenthal Statement On FDA Order Stopping Sale Of Four Cigarette Products

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement today after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) halted the sale of four cigarette products because they are not similar to previously approved products and need further testing:

“Today’s action – the first of its kind – is a milestone victory for consumers and public health. I commend the FDA for taking long-overdue action to better protect public health. This step shows why a rigorous and scientific pre-market review of all tobacco products is so important to protecting the public health –especially for our nation’s youth.  However, the FDA can and must do more to further regulate and restrict the sale of deadly tobacco products on the market. The evidence is clear on the harmful, addictive nature of e-cigarettes and the FDA must finalize the long-overdue deeming rule to ensure the public is aware of and protected from the harmful effects of these products.”

Blumenthal has consistently worked to protect consumers from the harms of tobacco products, specifically urging the FDA last month to finalize deeming rules that would regulate tobacco products on the market like e-cigarettes and hookah. Last year, he led a letter to President Obama after the FDA failed to meet its 120-day deadline to review and finalize tobacco product regulations. Blumenthal also re-introduced legislation in April that would enforce reforms to deter consumers, specifically children, from purchasing tobacco products.