The American Lung Association says neither federal nor state governments are doing enough to address kids using e-cigarettes.
The association released its "State of Tobacco Control" report Wednesday, which grades states and the federal government on steps they've taken to enact effective tobacco control policies.
And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration didn't do so hot. It got a failing grade from the American Lung Association, mostly due to a "lack of concrete actions."
The American Lung Association's national president and CEO said in a statement: "The FDA in particular has been asleep at the switch for far too long. Their failure to act for years set the stage for e-cigarette use among youth to finally explode into an epidemic."
According to the CDC, more than 2 million middle school and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2017.
The FDA says it's been working to lower that number. The agency spent millions on an education campaign warning kids about the dangers of e-cigarettes. And it said it was considering a ban on flavored e-cigarettes to crack down on underage use.
But one of the authors of the American Lung Association's report told CNN those announcements haven't led to concrete actions. And he said the federal government's inaction has in turn "emboldened" the tobacco industry.
The FDA refused to comment directly on the American Lung Association's report.
