For Immediate Release:
April 14, 2025
For press inquiries only, contact:
Amanda Priest (334) 322-5694
William Califf (334) 604-3230
By Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall
(Montgomery, Ala) – Attorney General Steve Marshall joined a coalition of 27 states in asking the Trump Administration to continue combatting the flood of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes into the U.S. that target kids. Last year, illegal Chinese e-cigarettes valued at billions of dollars were sold in the United States. The products often use colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and video game themes to appeal to teenagers and kids. Despite youth tobacco use being at a record low, most children who report using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days are using illegally smuggled, Chinese-made products.
“It’s time for America to take a stand against the flood of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes that are circumventing federal law and targeting our youth,” said Attorney General Marshall. “Our coalition urges the Trump administration to take additional actions to keep these harmful and illegal products out of our country and away from our kids.”
Manufacturers and distributors of Chinese e-cigarettes often fail to submit applications for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (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.
Alabama joined the Iowa-led letter, along with 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.
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