I agree with the concern expressed about protecting Maine youth from nicotine addiction (“Susan Collins questions Trump’s FDA nominee about vapes, drugs for rare diseases,” Sept. 24). But if we are going to talk about protecting children, we should also talk about what has happened to the federal infrastructure responsible for tobacco prevention.

On April 1, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health — the nation’s primary federal tobacco-prevention office — was essentially dismantled. Approximately 200 staff and contractors were terminated. The Tips From Former Smokers campaign was ended, and surveillance systems used to track tobacco use and cessation trends have been degraded.

That matters because the statistics we rely on to understand youth vaping, nicotine-pouch use and other tobacco trends don’t simply appear. They require ongoing federal surveillance and scientific expertise.

Congress ultimately preserved tobacco-control funding for FY2026, yet the Office on Smoking and Health had not been restored.

Sen. Susan Collins deserves credit for questioning a nominee about youth vaping. But as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she also has an important responsibility to protect the federal tobacco-prevention infrastructure that Maine and other states depend upon.

If we truly want to protect Maine children, we need more than hearings about nicotine. We need the data, science and public health programs to prevent addiction.

Mary Lou Warn
Winslow