Bipartisan “END Act” Aims to Stop Illicit Vapes from China
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced the “Ensuring the Necessary Destruction of Illicit Chinese Tobacco (END) Act” to grant federal agencies more authority to combat the influx of illegal and counterfeit vaping products from China. Led by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), the bicameral legislation aims to protect U.S. consumers from unsafe products.
The END Act would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to explicitly authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the FDA to seize and destroy adulterated, misbranded, or counterfeit imported tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes. Currently, these products are not treated the same as counterfeit drugs or medical devices when intercepted by federal authorities, creating what lawmakers describe as an enforcement loophole.
“We have seen too many illegal vapes slipping through the enforcement cracks, posing health and safety risks to Americans,” said Rep. Van Duyne. Sen. Cornyn added that the legislation would “turn off the spigot of illicit e-cigarettes and vapes flowing from China.”
The move follows numerous large-scale seizures of illicit vaping products from China by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis. The bill has garnered broad support from organizations including NACS (representing convenience stores), 7-Eleven, Altria, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association, all of whom see it as a necessary tool to disadvantage bad actors and protect responsible retailers and public health.
- News source: Rep. Van Duyne and Senator Cornyn Introduce the END Act to Crack Down on Illegal Vape Imports
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