Rep. Harris calls for illegal vape crackdown, local shops react
Salisbury, Md. – Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) called on the Senate to support a House bill directing $200 million to shut down what he calls the “illicit nicotine marketplace.”
In the Agriculture-FDA bill, which passed in the House, $20 million would go to a multi-agency taskforce called the ENDS Enforcement Task Force, a “joint effort of the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and FDA to target the illegal manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of these products, a majority of which are produced in China,” according to a release out of Harris’ office. The bill would also direct the FDA to expand its enforcement priorities to flavored disposable vapes and to report seizures of illicit products and efforts to educate retailers about which products are legal to sell to Congress.
“This has become a national security problem. Illegal vapes put money in the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party and the criminal cartels operating inside our borders,” Harris said in a statement.
Margaret Mannion, the director of government relations at the National Association of Convenience Stores lauded Harris’ efforts in a statement released by Harris’ office.
“Responsible retailers are at a competitive disadvantage as long as bad actors continue to sell illicit products,” she said.
However, David Eisenhower, the owner of Del Mar Vapor Lounge and Odds and Ends Smoke Shop, said he’s concerned legislators might decimate American products, saying “the disposable vape industry would go away.”
“Solid regulation of an industry with regulations that make sense would be wonderful,” Eisenhour said. “Unfortunately, almost every single vape manufactured is made in China.”
He said there are companies that import the shells of their products and fill it with American manufactured e-liquids.
“There is a reasonable path to allowing that to happen, but I don’t know if the bill would address that,” Eisenhour said.
Eisenhouer said that while there are bad actors selling illicit products to consumers, and they should be investigated and prevented from selling illegal products, smoke and vapor shops like his remain committed to following all regulations. However, he said with sudden differing changes at state and federal levels can lead to confusion in following them.
