[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 41 (Monday, March 2, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REVERSING THE YOUTH TOBACCO EPIDEMIC ACT OF 2019

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                               speech of

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 28, 2020

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I will vote in support of H.R. 2339, the 
Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act 
of 2020.
  Despite a previous years-long decline in youth tobacco use, we have 
witnessed a sharp rise in youth tobacco use and nicotine addiction in 
recent years. At the heart of this trend are flavored e-cigarettes, 
which Big Tobacco companies have marketed toward young people in their 
ongoing drive to increase their profits at the cost of public health.
  I believe H.R. 2339 takes important steps toward tackling the youth 
tobacco epidemic and curtailing Big Tobacco's unfettered promotion of 
these highly addictive products, including closing loopholes in current 
law that cover traditional tobacco products but not e-cigarettes.
  This includes H.R. 2339's provisions to prohibit the marketing, 
advertising, and promotion of e-cigarette products to individuals under 
21 years of age; ban online sales of e-cigarettes; close a tax loophole 
for e-cigarettes by establishing tax parity with current tobacco taxes; 
apply graphic health warnings to cigarette packages; and provide 
funding for tobacco cessation research, therapies, and counseling, as 
well as for outreach and grants to medically underserved communities.
  I also support provisions in H.R. 2339 which would waive Medicare's 
coinsurance requirements for colorectal cancer screening and increase 
access to asthma medications. While I will vote in support of H.R. 
2339, I believe important improvements could have been made to 
strengthen the overall bill.
  For example, in light of the legislation's ban on all tobacco 
flavors--including menthol--I strongly opposed the inclusion of a 
provision that creates a discriminatory exemption for premium cigars. 
This clearly unfair provision protects the tobacco habits of wealthier 
individuals--who use premium cigars at higher rates--while imposing new 
restrictions on tobacco products that low-income individuals and 
communities of color are more likely to use.
  I also believe H.R. 2339 should have contained stronger provisions to 
alleviate criminal justice concerns that this legislation could 
disproportionately impact people of color, increase criminal penalties 
in state and localities across the country, and potentially encourage 
harmful police practices.
  Additionally, while I am pleased H.R. 2339 takes vital steps to 
address the youth tobacco epidemic, this legislation unfortunately does 
not address the disturbing outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses 
and deaths that we witnessed in recent months. The CDC found that these 
deaths and illnesses stemmed primarily from black market THC-containing 
e-cigarettes with vitamin E acetate--an additive that can damage lungs 
when inhaled.
  Despite these concerns, I believe the clear public health benefits of 
this legislation outweigh its faults. There is no time to waste. I will 
not stand idly by while corporate greed and Big Tobacco marketing 
tactics threaten to engulf yet another generation to the ravages of 
addiction, cancer, stunted brain development, damaged lungs, and more.
  You can be sure I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to 
improve this legislation in order to put forward well-balanced 
legislation that can comprehensively address the youth tobacco epidemic

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