Attorneys general of 28 states and Guam are calling on the Trump administration to crack down on the sale of illegal vape products.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led the letter sent on April 10 to the Trump administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action on the influx of unauthorized Chinese-made e-cigarettes sold in America. To date, the FDA has authorized 34 e-cigarette products and devices.
“While we are doing our best to fight the problem in the states, its nature and scope are international,” the letter said. “President Trump can secure our borders against this influx of dangerous products and hold China accountable for preying on American youth.”
Attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming also signed the letter.
“Biden’s border crisis didn’t just hit our borders—it hit our stores and schools, and it’s poisoning our kids with illegal Chinese vapes,” said Bird in a statement. “We know that China is marketing candy-flavored and colorfully-packaged vapes to American kids that hurt them and start early addiction."
In the letter, the states said they are committed to working with the administration to hold accountable Chinese companies that have “established an extensive supply chain to capitalize on the multi-billion-dollar U.S. e-cigarette market.”
The letter said the states are urging the Trump administration to build on its previous efforts to crack down on illegal Chinese e-cigarettes that are being marketed to kids by:
- Instructing a federal multi-agency task force to prioritize curbing the distribution and sale of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes.
- Giving customs and border protection the power to seize illicit tobacco products.
- Prosecuting and increasing penalties for violators who help peddle illegal Chinese e-cigarettes.
- Strengthening enforcement at the border to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes.
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