U.S. House lawmakers are demanding information from federal officials on what they are doing to stop the recent influx of kid-appealing electronic cigarettes from China.
Members of a new congressional committee on U.S.-China relations sent the request last week to U.S. Justice Department and Food and Drug Administration leaders, calling attention to “the extreme proliferation of illicit vaping products.”
The letter cites the Associated Press reporting on how thousands of new disposable e-cigarettes have hit the market in recent years, mostly manufactured in China and sold in flavors like watermelon and gummy bear.
In May, the agency called on customs officials to block imports of Elf Bar, a small, colorful vaping device that is the No. 1 choice among teenagers.
The media has reported that the company behind Elf Bar has been able to evade the ban by simply renaming its products, which remain widely available in convenience stores and vape shops.
“We ask you to work with the Customs and Border Protection to address this urgent problem with all due speed,” states the bipartisan letter from 12 members of the committee, including Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi.
The special committee was established early this year to counter Chinese policies that can damage the U.S. economy. Tensions between the two countries have been rising for years, with both China and the U.S. enacting retaliatory measures on imports.