Illegal E-Cigarettes Flooding Market, Senators Question FDA’s Dragging Out Regulation for 3 Years

Cracking down on electronic cigarettes contaminated with illegal drugs is the DOJ’s ‘highest priority,’ according to Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun Rao.

A variety of electronic cigarette flavors are viewed for sale at an electronic cigarette store on June 10, 2013 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved 23 e-cigarette products, yet millions of illegal e-cigarettes have flooded the U.S. market, as stated at the Wednesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on youth vaping.

In July 2020, the U.S. Maryland District Court ordered the FDA to conduct a premarket review of all e-cigarette products by September 2021.