U.S. Senator Schumer urges the FDA to investigate and shut down vaping brand Elf Bar

Today, on April 5, news reports that Harper Ells, a junior at Fulton G. Ray Bodley High School in the U.S., stated that the use of e-cigarettes is common among students.

"They usually hide it well," Ells said. "They try not to do it in class. That’s why they are always in the bathroom."

She tries to avoid encountering peers vaping in the bathroom, which means she might have to use the restroom on the other side of the building.

"If they do random bathroom checks, you could get associated with them in that group. One time I wanted to go to the bathroom, and they might pressure me. You really don’t know," Ells explained.

From September to March, there were 88 incidents involving e-cigarettes in the Fulton district, 62 of which involved the Chinese e-cigarette brand Elf Bar.

Senator Chuck Schumer stated that the brand targets children on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, using influencers and packaging with flavors like cotton candy. The senator noted that Elf Bar has garnered 1.7 billion views on TikTok alone.

This is not just a problem in Fulton, so Schumer is writing to the FDA, urging them to investigate Elf Bar.

"This is an advertising model that revolves around disposable e-cigarettes, to see if they are violating the law and to shut them down," Schumer explained. "The bottom line is clear; we want the FDA to shut down Elf Bar before it becomes JUUL 2.0."

The police are working with schools and conducting regular checks on stores.

Fulton Police Chief Michael Curtis said: We will conduct compliance checks on e-cigarette stores to ensure they are not selling prohibited items in New York State and are not selling to minors.

Chief Curtis stated that they have already arrested and will continue to arrest those who purchase items for minors.