Task Force to Crack Down on E-cigarettes Free

The U.S. Department of Justice and the FDA have created a federal, multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping products. Other law enforcement partners will join the effort—including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Federal Trade Commission—to investigate and prosecute offenders of various statutes. Violations may result in felony convictions and fines, as well as the seizure of unauthorized products. “Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers market a wide range of products that appeal directly to school-age users, such as candy and fruit flavors, some of which come in devices designed to be easily concealed,” according to the FDA. Nicotine can be particularly harmful to adolescents and young adults because it can interfere with brain development.