Opinion: Sen. Dick Durbin: Trump is letting Big Tobacco target children
Senator Dick Durbin criticizes the Trump administration for allowing flavored e-cigarettes that target children. He argues that this decision undermines progress made in reducing smoking rates and protecting youth from nicotine addiction. Durbin has introduced legislation to combat this issue and emphasizes the need for stricter enforcement of tobacco regulations.
- ▪Senator Dick Durbin has a personal connection to lung cancer, having lost his father to the disease due to smoking.
- ▪E-cigarettes have become the most common form of tobacco products among youth since 2014.
- ▪The FDA authorized flavored e-cigarettes for the first time under pressure from President Trump, despite concerns about their appeal to children.
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OpinionFirst Opinion Sen. Dick Durbin: Trump is letting Big Tobacco target children Allowing the sale of kid-friendly e-cigarette flavors will set back hard-won progress Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article Daniel Leal/Pool via AP By Dick DurbinMay 27, 2026 Durbin is the senior U.S. senator from Illinois. When I was 14 years old, I lost my father to lung cancer. He was 53 and smoked two packs of Camels a day. I have made it a priority during my time in Congress to champion policies that help spare others from this tragedy. Smoking rates have hit record lows.
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