Vaping company executives to testify before Congress today

The leaders of several vaping companies are going to be in the hot seat this morning as they appear in front of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on the the public health impact of e-cigarettes. Vaping companies have marketed their devices as alternatives to tobacco smoking, but the FDA has not yet endorsed them as a smoking cessation tool. Among those who have been asked to testify is K.C. Crosthwaite, who took over as the CEO of Juul Labs after former CEO Kevin Burns stepped down last fall. Today’s hearing will focus on these manufacturers’ marketing techniques, which have been tied to rising rates of youth vaping. The hearing comes a day before a new FDA policy goes into effect prohibiting manufacturers from making, marketing, and distributing most flavored products (except tobacco and menthol) within 30 days or risk FDA action.