Gov. Kathy Hochul ought to ramp up New York enforcement towards illegal-flavored cigarettes and vapes coming from China that find yourself within the palms of New York’s teenagers, a rival Democrat mentioned.
Rep. Ritchie Torres, who sits on the Home Choose Committee on the Communist Social gathering, urged Hochul to amend state legislation to permit the Tax Division to bolster the state’s anemic enforcement, now led by the Well being Division.
“I urge your administration to take decisive motion to strengthen enforcement towards the sale of unlawful flavored e-cigarettes, significantly these originating from China, by granting the New York Division of Taxation and Finance authority alongside the Division of Well being,” Torres mentioned in a March 30 letter to the governor.
New York banned flavored vapes in 2020, however the merchandise proceed to flood the market, Torres mentioned, undermining public well being efforts.
He complained the vapes, usually disguised underneath deceptive labels and shipped by means of unauthorized channels, are “designed to enchantment to minors whereas evading each state and federal laws.
“These merchandise pose a direct menace to public well being, with dangerously excessive nicotine concentrations and unknown chemical components,” Torres mentioned within the letter to Hochul. “The persistence of unlawful flavored vapes not solely fuels nicotine habit amongst younger folks but additionally burdens state enforcement companies that lack the mandatory authority and assets to successfully crack down on these illicit operations.”
The legislation additionally ought to be strengthened to categorise flavored vapor merchandise as contraband, thus permitting Tax Division officers to confiscate vapes from any enterprise or cargo, simply as they do for unstamped cigarettes, the congressman mentioned.
“This enlargement of authority will be sure that each Well being and Tax enforcement companies are actively investigating and penalizing unlawful flavored vape gross sales, thereby rising the probability of figuring out and prosecuting violators,” mentioned Torres, who’s eyeing a main towards Hochul in 2026.
New York’s combat towards tobacco has dramatically curbed youth smoking, Torres famous, however the continued availability of illicit flavored vapes threatens to “reverse these good points.”
“By taking daring motion to boost enforcement, shut regulatory loopholes, and curb the move of unlawful merchandise, we will defend public well being, uphold the integrity of state legal guidelines, and safeguard vital tax revenues,” he mentioned within the letter to the governor.
About 6% or 1.63 million center and excessive schoolers within the US say they use vapes, in line with a survey launched final fall by the federal Meals and Drug Administration.
Greater than eight out of 10 present e-cigarette customers — 87.6% — used flavored e-cigarettes, with fruit flavors being the most well-liked, adopted by sweet, desserts, or different sweets, mint and and menthol, the survey confirmed.
As a part of Mayor Eric Adams’ Operation Padlock geared toward shutting down unlawful hashish retailers, New York Metropolis authorities found that lots of the illicit retailers have been additionally promoting outlawed e-cigs — resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,200 lbs. of vape merchandise final fall.
The town additionally filed swimsuit to snuff out unlawful vape wholesalers.
Final October, the FDA, in collaboration with US Customs and Border Safety , seized 3 million models of unlawful e-cigarette merchandise, with an estimated retail worth of $76 million.
The seizures have been a part of a joint operation to examine incoming shipments and forestall unlawful e-cigs from coming into the nation.
All of the shipments got here from China and have been mislabeled to evade detection, federal authorities mentioned.
Hochul’s workplace had no rapid remark.
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