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Utah Senator Mitt Romney calls for vaping regulation; government wants ban on flavored e-cigarettes

Posted at 5:37 PM, Sep 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-11 22:25:09-04

WASHINGTON -- Hours before an announcement the federal government would ban flavored e-cigarettes, Utah Senator Mitt Romney formally called on the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, to recall e-cigarettes until testing shows exactly what is causing the illnesses and deaths reported nationwide.

Whether or not Romney directly influenced the decision, he became a major voice in the growing political opposition to the products that have become far more popular among teens than traditional cigarettes.

“We talked to a number of young people who didn't even know it was not good for them,” Romney said in an interview with Fox 13, “They thought it was just breathing steam with a little flavor, but they don't recognize they're getting hooked on nicotine.”