The FDA is cracking down on fruity flavored Elf Bar e-cigarettes, a product made in China and being shipped to the U.S. where kids and teens are getting hooked. The federal government banned flavored vapes years ago, but a loophole in the law has allowed disposable flavored vapes to stay on shelves. Given that Elf Bar tobacco products do not have the required authorization from the FDA to be marketed legally in the U.S., the FDA has issued an import alert which allows the FDA to detain this product without physical examination.
But Several Lawmakers are concerned that the China based company is evading FDA advertising rules by using social media platforms like TikTok to target kids and teens. Another safety concern is that China has lower product safety and consumer protection standards which could make the product even worse than other e-cigarettes on the market. This is especially alarming, with several recent reports of some vapes being laced with fentanyl.
Jim Carroll, Former Director of National Drug Control Policy, discusses the safety issues with these vapes.
