October 31, 2019 4:30 a.m. 
Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden have joined Washington Senator Patty Murray and other Senate Democrats to denounce the Trump administration’s delay in addressing what they called “the growing epidemic of youth tobacco use”.
A letter sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, urged that the Food and Drug Administration finalize its promised compliance policy and clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol flavors immediately. The letter said the agency “must not bow to industry or political pressure at the expense of the public health”.
The release said in the past year, e-cigarette use has increased by more than 75 percent among high school students, “largely fueled by the appeal of products with flavors like candy, fruit, mint and menthol”. The release said that nearly two-thirds of young people that use e-cigarettes, use mint and menthol products. The Senators said the Trump administration promised to address the epidemic, but the FDA has yet to take action and is reportedly considering exempting mint and menthol flavors despite promises to include them in the compliance policy.
According to the release, Merkley, who oversees the FDA in his role as the top Democrat on the FDA/Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, has introduced legislation that would ban e-cigarette flavors that deliberately target youth. Wyden has introduced legislation that would tax e-cigarettes the same as other tobacco products.