WASHINGTON — Congress is cracking down on vaping by holding committee hearings and proposing new legislation. It’s an issue both parties agree needs more attention.

Although Dr. Raul Ruiz no longer sees patients on a regular basis, he didn’t said goodbye to what he believes is his medical responsibility when he took office as a Democratic U.S. Congressman for Palm Desert. He said, right now he’s focused on how children are picking up vaping at alarming rates while the highly addictive nicotine inside keeps kids coming back. 

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“As a father I was outraged,” said Ruiz. “As a doctor where my priority is the public’s health, it was disgusting!”

At a February committee hearing, Ruiz expressed shock for new vaping products. 

“The threat in the hood is the vaping product,” said Ruiz, holding up picture examples. “Or these vaping products disguised as juice boxes! Juice boxes! Who else are products like these marketed towards but underage youth?”

Last November, Ruiz met with a boy, Zane Martin, in his district, who suffered from a life-threatening illness from vaping. He says Zane launched his motivation for new legislation. 

“My heart went out to him because he looked ill, he looked cachectic,” said Ruiz. “He was struggling to breathe.”

Zane’s lungs collapsed due to an injury and air leak from vaping. 

“I’m doing it in his and his mother’s honor because they wanted me to tell their story,” Ruiz said.

Now Ruiz is gaining bipartisan support for his No Vape Act, created to impose harsher penalties on retailers who sell to children, and ensure each product has a warning label. Ruiz said doctors are still trying to discover all the pros and cons of vaping but that Zane has shown him, it will never be worth it. 

“It’s going to take a long time for him to really recuperate; to get his strength back to get his lung capacity back,” said Ruiz. “And we still don’t know if he’s going to be able to fully recover.”

Other initiatives in Washington include the Trump administration’s recent ban on most flavored pre-filled, one-time use pods, with the exception of tobacco and menthol flavors, a move that the FDA stressed was not technically a ban but “guidance” on enforcement powers.

Ruiz said this allows for loopholes, leaving many products still on the market. He says there is still much work to get done to deter children from vaping.

Congressman Ruiz’s No Vape Act passed out of the House' Energy and Commerce committee in a comprehensive bill geared towards "Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic". Ruiz said he's hopeful there will be a vote in the House and Senate this year.