Durbin Blames Police for Illegal Flavored Vape Surge

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin strongly condemned top health and law enforcement officials for their inadequate efforts in combating the surge of illegal disposable e-cigarettes among young people in the U.S.

Industry analysts estimate disposable vapes make up 30 percent to 40 percent of the roughly $7 billion vaping market. The two best-selling disposables—Breeze and Elf Bar—generated more than $500 million in sales last year, according to Nielsen retail sales data analyzed by Goldman Sachs, according to media reports.

Both brands have been sanctioned by FDA regulators but remain widely available, in some cases with new names, logos, and flavors. More than half of the 2.8 million U.S. teens who vaped last year said they used Elf Bar.

Overall, teen vaping has fallen 60 percent since its all-time high in 2019, following the COVID-19 pandemic and new age restrictions and flavor bans on e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.

“Nearly all e-cigarettes are sold in violation of federal law, yet 2 million kids report vaping,” Durbin tweeted.

Using its own authorities, the FDA has sent hundreds of warning letters to vape shops and e-cigarette manufacturers in recent years. But the letters have done little to dissuade companies from flouting FDA rules and introducing new vapes.