Senator Durbin Joined RHA to Condemn Authorization of Fruit-Flavored Vapes Fueling Youth E-Cigarette Addiction
June 10, 2026
Last month, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin held a news conference at Respiratory Health Association headquarters in Chicago to discuss recent actions by President Trump’s Food and Drug Administration that authorized a new wave of youth e-cigarette addiction. Durbin was joined by Dr. Deanna Behrens of Advocate Health Care’s Pediatric Critical Care program, Dr. Marcus Belin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and Rob Anderson, the CEO of the Respiratory Health Association.
“When I was 14 years old, I lost my father to lung cancer at the age of 53. This experience shaped me, and I have made it a priority during my time in Congress to champion policies that spare others from what my family went through. Today, with fewer and fewer children picking up cigarettes, Big Tobacco created a new, flashy, kid-friendly product that they billed as safer: the e-cigarette. How better to addict children to this new nicotine device than adding fruit and candy flavors to it like gummy bear, whipped cream, and razzle-berry. Unfortunately, it worked as millions of children are now vaping and more than 90 percent of them are doing so because of the sweet flavors. If we do not reverse course quickly, the devastating fallout will be felt by our children for decades to come, and we simply cannot let that happen.” — Senator Dick Durbin
“Respiratory Health Association is deeply concerned about the threat vaping poses to children. To be clear, there is no safe amount of nicotine at any level. Flavored e-cigarettes are deliberately designed and marketed to appeal to youth, opening the door to a new generation of lung disease.” — Rob Anderson, CEO, Respiratory Health Association
“The reality is simple — no tobacco or nicotine products are safe for young people. Vaping has created a new pathway to nicotine addiction for an entire generation of young people. The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes all flavored tobacco and nicotine products, including menthol, because flavors play a major role in youth initiation.” — Dr. Deanna Behrens
“The youth vaping epidemic continues to be exacerbated by a lack of consistent oversight, regulation, and enforcement. This is no longer just a school issue. It is a growing public health crisis impacting an entire generation of young people.” — Dr. Marcus Belin