(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher made the following statement on her vote on H.R. 2339, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2020:

“Addressing the teen vaping epidemic is important to our district and our country,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Today, the House voted on legislation in an attempt to curb youth tobacco use.  Although this bill, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2020, was well-intended, its provisions were overly broad and beyond the scope of youth vaping and tobacco use.

“By banning all flavored tobacco products, including all flavored chewing tobacco, Hookah, and other forms, this legislation limits adult choice to an extent inconsistent with the views of our district.

“I agree wholeheartedly with my colleagues and constituents’ concerns about vaping, which is widespread in our school-age population.  I voted to raise the smoking age to 21 as a proactive solution to help keep our children and communities healthy, and I remain committed to working with health experts and our community to find the best solutions to end the vaping epidemic.”