Presidential Candidate Responses

Implementing Evidence-based Tobacco Control and Vaping Policies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco-related diseases, including lung cancer, are responsible for 480,000 deaths each year in the U.S. To date, there have been over 2,600 cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injuries (EVALI) across all 50 states. Congress has raised the age to purchase tobacco to 21, but the widespread availability of flavored vaping and tobacco products and their popularity among young people present additional challenges.

Will you support a ban on sales of all flavored vaping and tobacco products?

Joe Biden: I support the recent FDA action on flavored vaping products and believe it should extend to tobacco and menthol flavors not included in the ban to prevent kids from switching from the flavored options to menthol. E-cigarette use among young people is now considered an epidemic and we must continue to understand the medical implications while doing everything we can to protect our children from the predatory market approaches used to target them.

Preventative strategies are critical and offer the most comprehensive and cost-effective strategy in the long-term control of cancer and other lung diseases.

View Other Policy Priorities

Funding Lifesaving Research
Eliminating HPV-related Cancers
Achieving Oral Chemotherapy Parity
Addressing Cancer Disparities
 

The responses published above were received on or before February 28, 2020.