Washington, D.C. – An Oregon lawmaker is expressing concerns about the safety of e-cigarette products imported from China.
Senator Ron Wyden, who also serves as the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said a new Government Accountability Office report shows over 91% of e-cigarettes imported into the U.S. are connected to China.
“The American public has a right to know the source of products they consume, especially when they are coming from overseas, and in particular from China which offers little data on the safety of e-cigarette products,” Wyden said. “Today’s report offers a view into where American consumers get their e-cigarettes, but the continued lack of standards means the health effects are unknown at best.”
According to Sen. Wyden, the Food and Drug Administration only recently began regulating e-cigarette products like traditional tobacco produces.
But he said e-cigarettes can be imported and sold without any other criteria, as they are not currently subject to federal safety standards.
Wyden called for e-cigarette product imports to be tracked earlier this year. He said, “For the first time the American people can shine a light on the e-cigarette market, which up to now has been completely untracked and unregulated by the federal government.”
Sen. Wyden hopes the new data collected in the GAO report will help lawmakers consider and propose regulatory options for e-cigarettes.
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