You would think that with the FDA poised to destroy the vapor industry as we know it, certain enemies of vaping would be pleased with themselves. Not so much, it turns out.
Our elected officials are not sitting idly by, patting themselves on the back while resting on their laurels. Oh no, some of them are dedicated to hearing the sound of their own voice, no matter what.
One of the biggest proponents of dead horse beating is Senator Barbara Boxer (D. CA). Every time there was any sort of news about the vaping industry, Boxer and her cohorts in the Senate would publish press releases and letters to make themselves look tough on tobacco or other such nonsense.
Well, you can rest assured that sort of grandstanding will continue for years to come! Last Friday, Boxer issued a press release to tell the world that she’s still badgering the FTC to kill vaping advertising as well. Apparently a wholesale decimation of the industry isn’t insulting enough.
Since Boxer first wrote to the FTC in 2014, youth exposure to e-cigarette advertising has skyrocketed. According to the CDC’s January 2016 Vital Signs report on e-cigarette advertising exposure, over 18 million teens were exposed to e-cigarette advertisements in 2014. That study also found that spending on e-cigarette advertising rose from $6.4 million in 2011 to an estimated $115 million in 2014. During that same period, current e-cigarette use among high school students grew from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 13.4 percent in 2014. In 2015, that number reached 16 percent.
-via Boxer.senate.gov
So there you have it, as long as there are presses to release, the good Senator from California will be there shouting from the rooftops. Let nobody think that she’s not really good at leaving a paper trails behind that makes it look like she’s all about protecting our youth.
If any of you are constituents of the Senator’s here’s a link to her contact information so you can congratulate her on her latest show.
