The American Vape Technology Association (VTA) was invited to attend the U.S. Senate hearing

At 10 a.m. local time on June 12^th, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the theme of “Addressing the Youth Smoking Crisis by Strengthening Enforcement of Illegal E-Cigarettes”. Tony Abboud, Executive Director of the Vape Technology Association (VTA), attended the meeting on behalf of the U.S. e-cigarette industry and refuted the allegations against the e-cigarette industry by providing science-based data, helping to restore the scientific integrity of the U.S. regulatory process.

Tony pointed out that reliable data shows that the problem of e-cigarette use among American teenagers has been significantly resolved; at the same time, a number of scientific studies have also proved that flavored e-cigarettes are a tool for American smokers to quit smoking and reduce harm, and the benefits of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool to public health cannot be ignored; VTA will continue to advocate serious and specific marketing and purchasing restrictions to ensure that e-cigarette products are not attractive or accessible to young people.

In addition, after the hearing, Tony was interviewed by the well-known American TV station FOX NEWS and reiterated: “The FDA should not take enforcement actions based on failed regulatory policies, but should make harm reduction its top priority. In order to continue to prevent teenagers from smoking e-cigarettes, regulators must adopt a series of marketing reforms and youth use restrictions to further reduce youth e-cigarette use while ensuring that adult smokers can still obtain e-cigarette products of various flavors. Only in this way can the FDA perform its duties in accordance with the U.S. Tobacco Control Act, and tens of millions of American adult smokers will have the opportunity to achieve their own harm reduction.”

In a recent working meeting with VTA, the ECCC stated that the United States is the world’s largest e-cigarette market and highly recognized VTA’s efforts to rigorously clarify the facts for the U.S. e-cigarette industry. VTA Executive Director Tony Abboud also expressed that he will maintain closer cooperation with ECCC, give full play to the global coordination role of the Preparatory Committee of the World Electronic Cigarette Alliance, strictly adhere to the bottom line of protecting minors, speak for the industry, safeguard the overall interests of the industry, and jointly shoulder the mission of guiding the compliance development of the industry, and escort the standardized and prosperous development of the global e-cigarette industry.