Real Authentication Labels on Fake Vapor Products

This article looks at the newly created, massive illicit market in vapor products originating mainly from China and sold in the United States. Despite being banned in both countries, brands like Elf Bar, Geek Bar, and Lost Mary continue to circulate. What’s more, they carry authentication labels that falsely suggest legitimacy, further exacerbating illicit trade.

Evobar and Breeze product bought in Michigan, October 2024; Lost Mary bought in Kansas, November 2024. Red circle highlights SALE ONLY ALLOWED IN THE US

The illicit trade in tobacco has continued to shape-shift over time based on market trends and demands. And the current trend in the US is towards vapor and nonsmoke alternative nicotine products. These markets have all the hallmarks illicit actors enjoy: rapid growth, significant market/ consumer demand, uneven regulation across markets, drastic over-regulation without matching levels of enforcement, and lax or non-existent penalties.

This environment is exactly what currently exists in the US, as public health regulators, in their rightful quest to combat under-age vaping, have placed a singular focus on implementing rigorous federal regulations on legitimate manufacturers, as well as bans on vapor products, while demonstrating a laissez-faire attitude towards the emerging black market, illicit trade, and enforcement.