A new intervention force to fight against illegal electronic cigarettes
On June 13, 2024, after several years of growing concerns about e-cigarettes and flavored cigarettes, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the creation of a task force. multi-agency federal intervention to combat the illegal distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes.
Benjamin C. Mizer, Acting Assistant Attorney General, said in an FDA press release: “Unauthorized e-cigarettes continue to jeopardize the health of Americans — especially children and adolescents — across the country. . This interagency task force is dedicated to protecting Americans by combating the illegal sale and distribution of these products. The creation of this intervention force demonstrates that rigorous enforcement of tobacco laws is a government priority. »
The collaboration will include multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the US Marshals Service (USMS), the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Brian King, Director of the FDA's Tobacco Products Center, added: “Combating illegal e-cigarettes is a complex problem that requires an equally complex response. This whole-of-government approach — including the creation of this new task force — will mobilize the resources and collective experience of the federal government to tackle this pressing public health issue. »
In 2022, the FDA proposed a total ban on flavored cigarettes and cigars to combat addiction among young people and the potential health impacts of their consumption. Although this ban was not adopted, the agency has increased its efforts to reduce the impact of electronic cigarettes on young people. For example, in August 2023, the FDA issued 15 warning letters to online retailers selling illegal and unauthorized e-cigarettes. Since then, the FDA has issued more than 1 warning letters to manufacturers selling unauthorized tobacco products.
This task force will support efforts to reduce the use of tobacco for young people. According to the press release, in 2023, 2,1 million young people in the United States reported using e-cigarettes. Although rates have decreased since previous surveys in 2019, the current prevalence of e-cigarette use remains concerning, as use tobacco can affect brain development…
Editor's note: Yes you read correctly, the press release speaks well of tobacco...while all of the actions aim to eradicate "illegal" electronic cigarettes, in short which do not comply with current federal legislation, or whose import conditions are not compatible with the laws regulating the market in the US. There is no doubt that as long as such amalgamations are made, it will not be good to be a vaper in the USA. I forgot, it is also true, that this large and beautiful country is also the first manufacturer of cigarettes in the world... hence seeing it as a cause of relationship and effect...
