A report put together by some Democrats in Congress says that e-cigarette makers are targeting younger people with their marketing.
The report says that some of the ways the companies tried to attract younger people include giving away free samples at sporting or music events and buying up ad time during TV or radio shows aimed towards younger people.
According to The New York Times, Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who lead the inquiry, spoke with reporters and said, "It's time for the FDA to step up and regulate these products. We've got to put an end to the marketing of these products to kids."
The report was also put together by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Henry Waxman's (D-Calif.) staffs. The Associated Press reports that they pointed out that other problems with electronic cigarettes is that they don't come with warning labels and at the moment do not have age restrictions.
The Food and Drug Administration is expected to introduce regulations that would include e-cigarettes, but Durbin isn't happy at how slow the agency has been. "I can't understand why the FDA is taking this long." He added, "It is clear that the longer they wait, the more young people will be addicted."
The report was put together by having the congressional members' staffs ask the e-cigarette companies about marketing, restrictions and other issues. Six companies admitted their advertising and promotion cost was $59 million for last year. For most it was a 50 percent or more boost from the year before, while two admitted they spent 300 percent more over the previous year.