Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Julia Louis-Dreyfus helped Tina Fey and Amy Poehler with their Golden Globes monologue by smoking an e-cigarette and refusing to snap a selfie with Reese Witherspoon. But while everyone in the audience was laughing, four Senate Democrats were thinking of the children.
Sens. Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown and Edward Markey penned a letter to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC Universal, chastising them for "glamorizing" e-cigs.
“The Golden Globes celebrates entertainers who are an influence on young fans," they wrote. "We ask the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC Universal to take actions to ensure that future broadcasts of the Golden Globes do not intentionally feature images of e-cigarettes. Such action would help to avoid the glamorization of smoking and protect the health of young fans.”
Battery operated e-cigarettes are used to vaporize solutions that contain nicotine, but not tobacco. The use and regulation of the devices are subject to ongoing controversy, as there's no federal law that prevents minors from purchasing them.
