US Enforcement on Illicit Vapor Finally Gains Steam

In a move that is both welcome and long overdue, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced the seizure of nearly $34 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarettes during a coordinated operation at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport. The scale and scope of this joint action – nearly 1.4 million units of illegal products – signals a critical shift: enforcement against the illicit vapor market is no longer just theoretical.

This follows an announcement by the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) that it has ramped up its enforcement game, issuing dozens of warning letters and imposing civil money penalties on retailers found to be selling unauthorized disposable vapes. These include brands like Elf Bar, Esco Bar, and Lost Mary, which have dominated the illicit vaping market.

These actions mark a pivotal escalation in the fight against illicit vapor products. But they also highlight the limits of enforcement operations that rely more on muscle than on modern technology, as well as highlighting the importance of another often-overlooked ingredient: political will.