US Senators Warn Retailers Against Selling Illegal Flavored E-cigarettes

According to a report by The New York Times on March 7, the chairmen of five major committees in the US Senate have warned the CEOs of major convenience stores and wholesalers to stop selling illegally flavored e-cigarette products, calling these products "widespread violations of federal law."

Senators described these illegal sales as a "significant public health threat" in a letter to the company, expressing frustration over the continued use of e-cigarettes, especially brightly colored candy-flavored e-cigarettes that appeal to young people and may lead them to become addicted to nicotine.

Illinois Democratic Party whip Richard Durbin said:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the industry must make more efforts to address the growing issue of youth e-cigarette use, and immediately remove unauthorized e-cigarette products from shelves.

This letter is addressed to retailers including 7-Eleven, Circle K, etc. The FDA has previously issued warnings to retailers selling unauthorized brands such as ELFBAR, EB Design, and Funky Republic.

Senators also reminded companies in the letter that a landmark law in 2009 has granted the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. Selling items that have not been approved could result in fines or an order to cease selling any tobacco products, the letter mentioned.

In a letter addressed to 7-Eleven CEO Joseph DePinto, they wrote: "Currently, millions of children are using unauthorized e-cigarettes, which could lead to nicotine addiction, respiratory diseases, increased depression and anxiety, and many other harms." However, the company has not commented on this issue."

National Convenience Store Association spokesman Jeff Lenard stated in an email: 

"We have repeatedly requested the FDA to provide complete information on what stores can and cannot sell, but they have refused to do so." "The FDA should have clearly defined and actively enforced the law long ago."

Public health experts have repeatedly called on the FDA to complete reviews of e-cigarette sales applications and clear illegal e-cigarettes from the market. The agency has stated it will complete the reviews by June 30th. So far, it has only authorized tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and recently rejected several mint-flavored products.

Approximately 40% of teenagers surveyed said they would quit using e-cigarettes if only tobacco and mint flavors were available. Additionally, if only tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes were on the market, 70% of teenagers said they would quit smoking.

Supporters of adult e-cigarette use cite these statistics as evidence that the teenage crisis has been alleviated, noting that the FDA should provide flavors for those trying to quit traditional cigarettes.

Global concerns about the use of e-cigarettes are escalating. In January of this year, the UK announced a ban on disposable flavored e-cigarettes. A survey conducted earlier found that one-fifth of young people aged 11 to 17 admitted to having tried e-cigarettes last year.

In December of last year, the World Health Organization called for "emergency action" to protect children from the harms of e-cigarettes, stating that many countries have no age restrictions on the product. The report highlighted that e-cigarettes are highly addictive and can produce toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer while others increase the risk of heart and lung diseases.

Recent research has shown that e-cigarettes are valuable for smokers attempting to quit smoking, but they also pose risks for those who continue to smoke and use e-cigarettes. A study published in January found that nearly 16% of smokers who switched to e-cigarettes were still not smoking six months later.

Another study released last month found that dual users of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes face higher risks of cardiovascular disease, strokes, and asthma.

The main author of the study, Stanton Glantz, said: "For some diseases, e-cigarettes are just as harmful as traditional cigarettes. For others, their impact may be slightly less harmful. However, they are far from being harmless, and dual usage is always worse."

In addition to Mr. Debin, the other senators who signed this letter include Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon; Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont; Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio; and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut.