According to a report by the New York Post on July 2, the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, has requested a judge in Manhattan to intervene and immediately stop 11 wholesalers in New York from illegally selling flavored e-cigarettes.
In April of this year, the city of New York filed a lawsuit against these wholesalers, citing data that showed a shocking rate of dependence on flavored e-cigarettes among children and adolescents.
Currently, city government lawyers say they need a preliminary injunction to force these illegal sellers of flavored e-cigarettes to immediately cease their harmful activities.
In a statement following Adam's submission of a restraining order request on Monday, he stated that...
Despite filing a lawsuit to hold these wholesalers accountable, our motion will help ensure they are unable to continue selling these toxic products to our children during the case proceedings.
The lawsuit filed by the city government in the Manhattan Supreme Court alleges that 11 wholesalers in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and Upstate New York are accused of violating local, state, and federal laws by selling flavored e-cigarettes.
The 11 charged e-cigarette distributors include EnvironMD Group LLC, GT Imports, Kayla Wholesale, Inc. (The Vapery), KLCC Wholesale Inc., V. Trading, LLC, Pioneer Distribution, Inc. (Wevapeusa.com, Supreme LLC), RZ Smoke Inc., Star Zone Inc., Urban Smoke Distributors, Vape More Inc. and More LLC, and Vape Plus Distribution Corp. (G&A Distribution).
Flavored e-cigarettes serve as the gateway to nicotine addiction. 81% of first-time users aged 12 to 17 started with flavored products.
Due to the actions of these wholesalers, the issue of nicotine addiction among middle and high school students is reaching epidemic levels.
Court records show that city government investigators were able to place orders directly from these wholesalers. The documents also reveal that investigators found sales invoices from e-cigarette distributors within the city.
Although the preliminary injunction did not allege that investigators purchased products since April, it did point out that the websites of these sellers are still listing illegal seasoning products.
In addition to preventing these businesses from getting children addicted to nicotine through flavors like strawberry cola and blueberry energy, the lawsuit also seeks unspecified damages and penalties.
The case is a related lawsuit stemming from a federal case in 2023 that remains unresolved in the city, naming two wholesalers and seeking damages in the millions of dollars.
A poll conducted in February of this year revealed that New York City residents have a poor opinion of law enforcement's performance in cracking down on illegal e-cigarette sales, with 53% believing officials' execution of the ban was only "average" or "poor.
The lawyer for the accused e-cigarette retailer has not immediately responded to a request for comment from the New York Post.
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