Washington DC [US], November 10 : A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has unveiled new legislation aimed at stopping the flood of counterfeit and illicit vaping products from China, which officials say are endangering public health and fuelling a youth nicotine crisis, as reported by The Epoch Times.
According to The Epoch Times, the bill titled the Ensuring the Necessary Destruction (END) of Illicit Chinese Tobacco Act was introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas).
It seeks to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to grant the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to seize and destroy counterfeit, adulterated, or misbranded tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes imported into the country.
"The vaping epidemic harming American youth is being worsened by China's massive role in flooding US markets with illegal tobacco products," Cornyn said in a statement. He added that the measure would "shut off the flow of illicit vapes from China and help address a growing public health crisis."
The recent enforcement actions by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have exposed the magnitude of the problem. CBP officers in Chicago intercepted over 43,000 electronic nicotine delivery systems worth USD 358,000, while in October, agents in Minneapolis-St Paul seized 90,000 vapes and 75,000 refill cartridges, valued at USD 1.47 million.
In May, officials confiscated nearly USD 34 million worth of unauthorised e-cigarette products, most of them from China. Lawmaker Beth Van Duyne emphasised that the END Act would "equip federal agencies with the authority to destroy counterfeit goods before they reach American consumers." The Senate version of the bill is co-sponsored by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), while the House version was introduced by Debbie Dingell (D-Mich), as highlighted by The Epoch Times.
Dingell warned that fake vaping products from China are "endangering Americans with unknown and toxic chemicals."
The FDA has also stated that e-cigarettes often contain harmful metals like lead, nickel, and chromium, and in some cases, as much nicotine as a full pack of cigarettes. Sen. Tom Cotton accused China of "waging a war on Americans by targeting children with dangerous, unregulated vapes," urging stronger FDA action against Chinese imports, as reported by The Epoch Times.