Illegal Vapes Targeting Teens Openly Displayed at Public Expos
Across the country, flashy and highly publicized conventions are showcasing an endless array of products that are not only illegal under federal law but also dangerous, addictive, and targeting America’s youth. At a recent expo in Miami, a dazzling display of e-cigarettes, or vapes, featured a wide range of enticing flavors, from Banana Taffy and Blueberry Milk to Gummy Rush and Tropical Gush.
However, behind the playful packaging and novel names lies a sinister reality. Rich Marianos, former Deputy Director of the ATF and a 27-year veteran of the agency, states unequivocally, “They are a hundred percent illegal under federal law.” In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of flavored vapes, a favorite among children and teens, in response to what the agency termed a ‘youth vaping epidemic.’ Since then, the FDA has authorized only 34 vaping products for market, all of which are either tobacco or menthol flavored – none of which were seen at the expo.
The issue extends far beyond childhood addiction and the sale of unauthorized products. According to Marianos, this billion-dollar industry is deeply rooted in some of the world’s largest illegal crime operations. “A lot of law enforcement is not aware of how the tentacles run so deep and who’s involved, which our network and the people that work with me see as the new face of organized crime,” he explains. Marianos asserts that the illegal vape trade funds organizations that threaten U.S. national security, from cartels and terrorist groups to Chinese crime syndicates.
The value of this illegal trade is staggering, estimated at over a hundred billion dollars annually – roughly equivalent to the combined value of marijuana, heroin, cocaine, meth, and illegal gun sales in the U.S. This reality has not gone unnoticed by U.S. lawmakers. In a heated congressional hearing last summer, Senator Dick Durbin challenged both the FDA and officials from the Department of Justice to take action, showing a photo of unauthorized vape products being sold less than a mile from the FDA’s headquarters.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a vocal critic of the government’s response to the vaping industry’s well-documented issues, recently challenged a consumer group representative arguing for access to flavored vapes. “Kids who have never smoked are taking up vaping because of these flavors. Your defense of flavored vapes is completely unacceptable and endangering our youth today,” he stated.
Despite the FDA sending more than a thousand warning letters to vape distributors and retailers, expressing “concerns,” the problem persists. Marianos attributes this to a lack of consequences, with government agencies using paperwork as their weapon against criminal activity. “When you have an ineffective FDA, these people work in our communities at shows like this on our street corners, in our convenience stores with impunity,” he says. “Warning letters and ‘hey, don’t sell vapes’ is not going to help this problem. We need to go after these illegal traffickers, and we need to put these people in jail.“
The absence of law enforcement at these expos is a complex issue. Because the products are illegal under federal law, only federal agencies can seize the products and make arrests, unless the individual state has established a legal directive allowing local law enforcement authorities to act.
As the illegal vape trade continues to flourish, targeting America’s youth and funding criminal organizations, the need for decisive action becomes increasingly apparent. Without meaningful consequences and a coordinated effort from federal and local law enforcement, the problem will only continue to grow, putting the health and safety of the nation’s children at risk.
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