United States

Senator Blumenthal Proposes US Program to Keep Children From Vaping

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is proposing the creation of a federal program dedicated to helping keep youths from using e-cigarettes

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is proposing the creation of a federal program dedicated to helping keep youths from using e-cigarettes.

The Democrat visited Glastonbury High School on Friday for a discussion with students and administrators on the topic.

The number of youths using e-cigarettes or vaping pens has been surging, with over 3.6 million children using them across the country according to federal officials.

The students shared with the Senator the appeal of e-cigarettes… mainly the flavors that appeal to teens and the fact that many of the kids say they can buy the e-cigarettes online or in stores without being asked their age.

"A lot of people see it now was it was just something fun to do and their friends say to them or like do you want to try this I got this new flavor," 11th-grader Rebecca Cohen said.

One suggestion that came up during the roundtable discussion was to prohibit online sales.

The legislation Blumenthal proposed would create the Reducing Youth Use of E-Cigarettes Initiative at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He says the program could help guide the federal response to the epidemic.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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