# Hilgers Joins Multi-State Coalition Opposing FDA Flavored E-Cigarette Guidance  
**Published:** 2026-05-12T13:58:32.000Z  
**Source:** [Nebraska Attorney General](https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-hilgers-joins-coalition-urging-fda-reverse-guidance-easing-sales-flavored-e)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/hilgers-joins-multi-state-coalition-opposing-fda-flavored-e-cigarette-guidance

LINCOLN, Neb. — [Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has joined a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reverse draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products](https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-hilgers-joins-coalition-urging-fda-reverse-guidance-easing-sales-flavored-e), according to a statement from the Nebraska Attorney General's office.

[The coalition, led by Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, contends that the draft guidance would disproportionately worsen youth addiction](https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-leads-coalition-urging-fda-to-reverse-guidance) to electronic nicotine delivery systems. The effort comes in response to [FDA guidance issued March 11, 2026, on assessing risk to youth and the added benefit to adults when reviewing applications for flavored e-cigarettes](https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/open-public-comment-period-draft-guidance-applications-flavored-e-cigarettes).

The development represents a significant shift in the FDA's regulatory approach. [The FDA authorized the first fruit-flavored vapes for adults on May 5, 2026, marking the agency's first approval of non-tobacco, non-menthol flavored e-cigarettes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/05/fda-approves-flavored-vapes/). [The approvals came after President Donald Trump reportedly pressed FDA Commissioner Marty Makary to authorize the products](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5864811-fda-approves-flavored-vapes/).

[In their letter, the attorneys general urge the FDA to reconsider the draft guidance and to continue its careful scrutiny of all flavors to protect public health](https://8-2). [Despite limited FDA authorization, hundreds of thousands of e-cigarette varieties in multitudes of flavors are currently available for purchase in flagrant violation of state and federal laws](https://8-7).

Nebraska has taken its own steps to address vaping concerns. [Starting January 1, 2026, retailers in Nebraska cannot sell or stock unregistered vape products](https://18-1,18-3), applying to vape shops, convenience stores, gas stations and any business selling the products. The state implementation comes as [the number of unique disposable e-cigarette products has increased 1500 percent since 2020](https://7-9).

Youth vaping remains a public health priority. [E-cigarette use among youth remains high, with 2.13 million high school and middle school students reporting use in 2023, with 89.4 percent of current users consuming flavored products](https://10-11,10-12).

## Sources

- [Nebraska Attorney General](https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-hilgers-joins-coalition-urging-fda-reverse-guidance-easing-sales-flavored-e)
- [Connecticut Attorney General press release on coalition](https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-leads-coalition-urging-fda-to-reverse-guidance)
- [FDA draft guidance on flavored e-cigarettes](https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/ctp-newsroom/open-public-comment-period-draft-guidance-applications-flavored-e-cigarettes)
- [Washington Post reporting on FDA approval of fruit-flavored vapes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/05/05/fda-approves-flavored-vapes/)
- [The Hill on Trump pressure on FDA](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5864811-fda-approves-flavored-vapes/)
- [Nebraska Vape Registry enforcement information](https://www.generationv.com/nebraska-vape-registry/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Attorney General, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://ago.nebraska.gov/attorney-general-hilgers-joins-coalition-urging-fda-reverse-guidance-easing-sales-flavored-e.