Law enforcement unit is formed to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes
A multiagency coalition of law enforcement agents will begin tackling the unruly market of illegal e-cigarettes, under pressure from anti-smoking groups, lawmakers and the tobacco industry urging federal authorities to stop the flood of vaping devices favored by adolescents.
The Justice Department and the Food and Drug Administration announced the new effort, which is expected to target fruit- and candy-flavored vapes containing high levels of addictive nicotine.
The new coalition would include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Postal Service, tapping into federal laws that could include significant fines and jail terms. “Unauthorized e-cigarettes and vaping products continue to jeopardize the health of Americans — particularly children and adolescents — across the country,” said Benjamin Mizer, the acting associate attorney general.
Until now, enforcement efforts have largely involved warning letters and limited penalties issued by the FDA to various vendors such as gas station and convenience store owners, ordering them to stop selling the items.
Those FDA initiatives have been criticized as unsuccessful by congressional lawmakers and others, who have pushed the agency to do more to keep illegal e-cigarettes from entering the United States.
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