Key Points
- Congress directed the FDA to allocate at least $200 million for ENDS enforcement.
- A multi-agency task force will target illegal imported vaping products.
- FDA must update its 2020 guidance and report to Congress twice yearly.
- Ispire and IKE Tech promote blockchain authentication and age-verification tools.
- Their System-on-a-Chip has been submitted to the FDA within a PMTA.
2Firsts, November 18, 2025 — According to PRNewswire, Ispire Technology Inc. and joint-venture partner IKE Tech LLC commented on new Congressional requirements directing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to intensify oversight of illicit electronic nicotine products.
The continuing resolution mandates at least $200 million of FDA user fees be allocated to ENDS enforcement, including $2 million for a task force with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. The FDA must also revise its 2020 enforcement guidance to include flavored disposable vapes and provide semiannual progress reports to Congress.
IKE Tech President John Patterson said current border and tracking systems are insufficient, noting the firm is developing blockchain authentication and AI-enabled age-verification tools to support real-time product validation. Ispire Co-CEO Michael Wang stated that enforcement should be paired with proactive technology standards, highlighting their blockchain-powered age-verification chip submitted to the FDA as part of a PMTA.
Both companies said strengthened enforcement is an important first step and pointed to technology-based solutions as essential to preventing illicit products from entering the market.
