Home lawmakers are demanding info from federal officers on what they’re doing to cease the current inflow of kid-appealing digital cigarettes from China.
Members of a new congressional committee on U.S.-China relations despatched the request Thursday to Justice Division and Meals and Drug Administration leaders, calling consideration to “the extreme proliferation of illicit vaping products.”
The letter cites Related Press reporting on how hundreds of latest disposable e-cigarettes have hit the market lately, principally manufactured in China and bought in flavors like watermelon and gummy bear.
The FDA has declared all such merchandise unlawful. Firms looking for to promote e-cigarettes within the U.S. are required to first search permission from the FDA, although lots of the merchandise imported from China have skipped that step. The company has solely approved a tiny handful of tobacco-flavored vapes for grownup people who smoke.
In Might, the company known as on customs officers to dam imports of Elf Bar, a small, colourful vaping machine that’s the No. 1 selection amongst youngsters.
The AP has reported that the corporate behind Elf Bar has been capable of evade the ban by merely renaming its merchandise, which stay extensively out there in comfort shops and vape outlets.
“We ask you to work with the Customs and Border Protection to address this urgent problem with all due speed,” states the bipartisan letter from 12 members of the committee, together with Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and rating Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.
The particular committee was established early this 12 months with the purpose of countering Chinese language insurance policies that may injury the U.S. financial system. Tensions between the 2 nations have been rising for years, with each China and the U.S. enacting retaliatory measures on imports.
The committee’s inquiry comes amid an enhancing image for teen vaping. Final month, an annual authorities survey confirmed the share of highschool college students utilizing e-cigarettes fell to 10% from 14% in 2022.
Nonetheless, greater than 2.1 million college students proceed to vape. Greater than half say they use Elf Bar, double the speed of every other model.
The FDA’s tobacco middle has just lately stepped up actions towards shops promoting unlawful e-cigarettes following a blistering evaluation of the company’s monitor file earlier this 12 months. Amongst different steps, the FDA-commissioned report known as on regulators to work extra intently with different federal companies to clear the market of unauthorized e-cigarettes.
FDA leaders have identified that they depend on the Justice Division to prosecute instances towards vaping corporations recognized by tobacco regulators. However in lots of cases, prosecutors could determine towards submitting fees for varied causes.
Of their letter, lawmakers particularly ask the pinnacle of the Justice Division’s client safety department whether or not he “has sufficient resources or expertise to litigate vapor-related referrals from FDA.”
Lawmakers are looking for solutions to greater than a half-dozen questions by Jan. 15.
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The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Academic Media Group. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.