Dazzling packages, fruity flavoring, and cheap price tags.
E-cigarettes are sparking concerns among parents nationwide fearing for the young adults who enjoy them.
China makes over 90 percent of the world’s vaping devices.
China’s communist regime strongly regulates these vaping products and the companies making them on Chinese soil. That includes a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. Companies that break the rules are subject to major penalties.
The same fruity or candy-flavored vapes outlawed in China still get made in the country and have been able to skirt enforcement and sneak overseas—flooding the U.S. market.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has had little success in combating youth vaping and the agency explained it can’t levy penalties or file lawsuits against foreign companies.
Back to the supply side, e-cigarette makers Elf Bar, EB Design, and Lost Mary have become best sellers in the United States and their products all come from one Chinese company, called Heaven Gifts.
Data from October shows Heaven Gifts’ weekly sales topped $9 million.
Most e-cigarettes and vaping devices use nicotine—a stimulant that comes from tobacco.
The substance is known for its dangerous and highly addictive qualities. While e-cigarettes pose dangers to respiratory health and have been linked to other issues.