Attorney General Bird Leads Charge to Crack Down on Illegal Chinese E-Cigarettes that Target Kids

DES MOINES—Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today announced that she is leading 27 states and Guam in asking the Trump Administration to continue combatting the flood of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes into the U.S. that target kids.

Last year alone, billions of dollars' worth of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes were sold in the United States. The products often use colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and video-game themes designed to appeal to teenagers and kids. While overall youth tobacco use is at a record low, most children who report using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days are using illegally smuggled, Chinese-made products.

“Biden’s border crisis didn’t just hit our borders – it hit our stores and schools, and it’s poisoning our kids with illegal Chinese vapes,” said Attorney General Bird. “We know that China is marketing candy-flavored and colorfully-packaged vapes to American kids that hurt them and start early addiction. Iowa stands ready to work alongside President Trump to crack down on the Chinese e-cigarette pipeline and hold China accountable for preying on American kids.”

Manufacturers and distributors of Chinese e-cigarettes often fail to submit applications for FDA review before selling their products in the U.S.. Many are intentionally mislabeled to avoid detection by the FDA or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They also evade inspections and basic security procedures, putting Americans at risk of inhaling unknown toxins.

President Trump cracked down on illegal Chinese e-cigarettes during his first administration, but Biden opened the floodgates for China to smuggle in these dangerous, kid-targeted vapes. The States are urging the Trump Administration to build on its previous efforts to crack down on illegal Chinese e-cigarettes that are being marketed to kids by:

• Instructing a federal multi-agency task force to prioritize curbing the distribution and sale of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes,
• Giving Customs and Border Protection the power to seize illicit tobacco products,
• Prosecuting and increasing penalties for violators who help peddle illegal Chinese e-cigarettes, and
• Strengthening enforcement at the border to crack down on e-cigarettes.

The States are committed to working with the Trump Administration to hold accountable those who pour Chinese e-cigarettes into the United States at the risk of American kids.

Iowa led the letter and was joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Guam.

Read the full letter here.

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For More Information:

Alyssa Brouillet | Communications Director

515-823-9112

alyssa.brouillet@ag.iowa.gov