RJ Reynolds Warns Vape Shops to Stop Selling Flavored Vaping Products

Today, on May 3, news from STAT reports that RJ Reynolds has sent letters to several small vape shops, threatening to file lawsuits if these shops do not stop selling flavored vaping products.

According to STAT, two letters were received, both sent in March, giving the vape shops a few days to confirm that they would no longer sell flavored tobacco products.

The letters warned that non-compliance could lead to legal action, and that the lawsuits would incur costs, attorney fees, and negative publicity for the vape shops.

The letters sent to shops in New Jersey and Alabama also warned that these shops were violating local laws regarding the sale of flavored tobacco.

The letter from New Jersey was also copied to the county prosecutor where the vape shop is located, apparently attempting to notify local authorities of the violations.

These letters are the latest example of Reynolds' aggressive campaign against illegal vaping products and represent a clear escalation.

In the article, harm reduction advocate Clive Bates criticized Reynolds.

"I think Reynolds should not be hunting down vape shops for selling life-saving products to regular customers," Bates wrote in an email to STAT. "They should not be picking on the little guys but should be forcing federal bureaucracies to do their jobs and do them better."

In February, Reynolds' RAI Services Company submitted a citizen petition requesting the FDA to take new enforcement actions against the illegal sale of flavored disposable electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products.

The petition was submitted on February 6 and was published by the FDA on Regulations.gov on February 8 for public comment.