Authorities step up measures to address unauthorized e-cigarette sales.
News Article. Truth Initiative. 24 July 2024
The battle against illegal e-cigarettes has intensified as federal and state authorities take action to protect young people from the thousands of unauthorized, flavored products that are flooding the market.
Over the past several years, single-use or disposable e-cigarettes have proliferated, while also becoming bigger, stronger, and cheaper. Disposable e-cigarettes sold in the U.S. nearly tripled in nicotine strength, quintupled in e-liquid capacity, and dropped in price by nearly 70% between 2017 and 2022, with some new products containing 29X the volume of a single JUUL pod.
Two New Steps:
A multi-agency task force has been created to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes
On June 10, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the creation of a federal task force to address the sale of illicit e-cigarettes. The task force will enlist the help of multiple law enforcement partners, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to tackle the distribution and sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes. If products are found in violation, retailers will have to remove them from the shelves.
Ohio Attorney General announces new campaign targeting illegal e-cigarettes
One month after the federal task force’s creation, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new campaign to combat the flood of illegal e-cigarettes streaming into the state. This action represents an important step in protecting youth and young adults at the state level and should serve as an example for other attorneys general across the nation.
Stephen Hamann
