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[Release] Centennial Institute: Parents Across America should applaud the Trump administration’s plan to protect kids from vaping and the ‘predatory practices’ of e-cigarette companies

Jan. 2, 2020
LAKEWOOD, Colo. —  The Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University commends the Trump administration for introducing new enforcement policiesregulating the manufacture and distribution of flavored e-cigarettes in what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has characterized as a problem so acute that “the United States has never seen an epidemic of substance use arise as quickly as our current epidemic of youth use of e-cigarettes.”

Of the announcement, Centennial Institute Director Jeff Hunt says, “Over 5 million high school and middle school children in America have fallen victim to the predatory practices of e-cigarette companies. This has led to direct health consequences and even death. We strongly applaud the FDA, HHS Secretary Azar, and the Trump Administration for providing common sense guidelines to protect kids from this dangerous drug epidemic.”

The FDA’s announcement today, termed an “enforcement policy on unauthorized flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes that appeal to children, including fruit and mint” included the following comment by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, “HHS is taking a comprehensive, aggressive approach to enforcing the law passed by Congress, under which no e-cigarettes are currently on the market legally…by prioritizing enforcement against the products that are most widely used by children, our action today seeks to strike the right public health balance by maintaining e-cigarettes as a potential off-ramp for adults using combustible tobacco while ensuring these products don’t provide an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for our youth. We will not stand idly by as this crisis among America’s youth grows and evolves, and we will continue monitoring the situation and take further actions as necessary.”

In October 2019, Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute organized a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging this action, accusing e-cigarette companies of “ignoring current laws and misinforming consumers” and citing the fact that meanwhile “e-cigarettes have become popular among teens …[promoting] flavors such as ‘pink lemonade, blue raspberry cotton candy, funnel cake, gummy bear, and sugar cookie’ while rates of past-month e-cigarette use by teens have doubled in the past two years.”

The Centennial Institute has also led the way in national advocacy against the legalization of marijuana, releasing a landmark study last year of the economic and social consequences of legalization policies in the United States.
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The Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University works to enhance public understanding of the most important issues relating to faith, family and freedom. As part of this endeavor, the Institute focuses its efforts on conducting research, analyzing public policy options and sponsoring seminars, conferences, and other activities that involve students, faculty, staff and outside experts. Each summer, it is the host of the nation’s largest annual conservative gathering west of the Mississippi, the Western Conservative Summit.

Web | ccu.edu/centennial      

Facebook | Centennial Institute

Twitter | @CentennialCCU

 

Colorado Christian University is located in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Founded in 1914, CCU is the flagship Christian university in the Rocky Mountain region. A leader in higher education, the University is consistently ranked in the top two percent of colleges nationwide for its core curriculum by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

CCU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees for traditional and adult students through its College of Undergraduate Studies and College of Adult and Graduate Studies. More than 8,000 students attend the University on the main campus, in regional centers throughout Colorado, and online. CCU is an NCAA Division II university in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)