United States: US Federal health officials are collaborating with US Departments of Justice to combat the issue of selling and distributing e-cigarettes unlawfully.
More about the news
With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preparing an official statement, there are already indications that the organization, in cooperation with the Justice Department, is to form a special task force dedicated to the problem.
This multi agency team will consist of members of the US Marshals Service and the US Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Trade Commission and other organizations to find and crack down on the unlawful use of e-cigarettes for sales and distribution.
According to Benjamin Mizer, the acting associate attorney general with the Justice Department, “Unauthorized e-cigarettes and vaping products continue to jeopardize the health of Americans – particularly children and adolescents – across the country,” CNN Health reported.
Mizer added, “This interagency Task Force is dedicated to protecting Americans by combatting the unlawful sale and distribution of these products,” and, “And the establishment of this Task Force makes clear that vigorous enforcement of the tobacco laws is a government-wide priority.”
What more does the FDA have to say?
Even though the FDA has already approved twenty-three specific tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and devices for sale currently. However there are also several other e-cigarettes that are available on the market, and many of them are prohibited for sale legally, and many of them are attractive to young people.
E-cigarette usage is common among young adults in the United States; the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than 1 in 10 individuals of that age bracket use e-cigarettes on a regular basis.
The survey done on National Youth Tobacco in 2023 concluded that approximately 2.1 million youth indicated that they use e-cigarettes at the current time.
New tobacco products require marketing authorization from the FDA to be sold; e-cigarettes, as a type of product that existed prior to this ruling, have been left in the market, but the agency has required manufacturers to provide applications to remain in it.
According to reports, the novel federal task force will look into several issues, “including investigating and prosecuting new criminal, civil, seizure and forfeiture actions,” and violations “can result in felony convictions and significant criminal fines and civil monetary penalties” as well as the seizures of unauthorized products.
As per Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, “Enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes is a multi-pronged issue that necessitates a multi-pronged response,” as CNN Health reported.
“This ‘All Government’ approach – including the creation of this new Task Force – will bring the collective resources and experience of the federal government to bear on this pressing public health issue,” King added.
More about the new task force
This formation of a new task force arose after the FDA sent over one thousand warning letters to several distributors, manufacturers, importers, and retailers for selling unapproved tobacco products such as e-cigarettes.
Finally, in December, the FDA informed that it had seized roughly about 1.4 million e-cigarette product units in the illicit market.
According to Ronald Davis, director of the US Marshals Service, “The U.S. Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Division stands ready to work with our Task Force partners in the seizure of unauthorized e-cigarettes from domestic distributors seeking to sell them unlawfully,” as CNN Health reported.
Additionally, the American Lung Association has announced that it appreciates the upcoming new federal task force.
Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association added, “Many of the illegal e-cigarettes currently on the market are flavored products, which attract youth,” and, “The American Lung Association commends the DOJ, FDA and other agencies involved in this task force. Ongoing and coordinated enforcement is necessary to remove the illegal and addictive tobacco products from the market.”