| September 09, 2019 01:33 PM
F irst Lady Melania Trump took aim at e-cigarettes Monday, raising the possibility that they might be “an on-ramp” to nicotine addiction for kids.
I am deeply concerned about the growing epidemic of e-cigarette use in our children. We need to do all we can to protect the public from tobacco-related disease and death, and prevent e-cigarettes from becoming an on-ramp to nicotine addiction for a generation of youth. @HHSGov
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 9, 2019
[ Related: Top Democrat calls on FDA head to ban e-cigarettes or resign]
Trump said she is “deeply concerned about the growing epidemic of e-cigarette use in our children” as the number of people diagnosed with lung illnesses that could be linked to vaping continues to rise.
She mentioned Health and Human Services in her tweet, the department which is overseeing investigations of more than 400 cases of lung diseases in 33 states. Five people have died of such diseases in recent weeks as of Friday, and each reported similar symptoms, including difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
State health departments have not said conclusively that vaping is the cause of the deaths and a spike in pulmonary diseases, but some believe vaping is responsible.
Government officials are under pressure to address the rise in illnesses by cracking down on vaping. Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, told acting Food and Drug Administration head Ned Sharpless last week to ban e-cigarettes or resign.