Unauthorized Vaping Devices Continue to Flood the US Market Despite FDA Crackdown
IRI sales data reported by the Associated Press shows that the number of vaping devices in the US market has nearly tripled since 2020, most of them unauthorized disposable devices from China. More than three years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration
According to IRI sales data reported by the Associated Press, the number of vaping devices in the U.S. market has nearly doubled since 2020, with most of them being unauthorized disposable devices from China.<\/span><\/div>
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More than three years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a crackdown on fruit flavors, many of which are found in unauthorized products that are technically illegal. This means the FDA must focus on removing unauthorized products from the market rather than carefully reviewing individual products that could help adult smokers.<\/span><\/div>
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IRI data shows that last year, cheaper disposable products accounted for 40% of the $7 billion e-cigarette retail market. IRI collects sales data from barcode scanners at convenience stores, gas stations, and other retailers. The data indicates that there are currently over 5,800 unique disposable products available in various flavors and formulations, a 1,500% increase from 365 in 2020, when the FDA banned all flavors in cartridge-based e-cigarettes except for menthol and tobacco. However, this ban did not include disposable products. <\/span><\/div>
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Stanford University’s Robert Jackler, who studies the rise of disposable products, stated: “The FDA’s actions are very slow, and the entire industry is aware of this and is taking advantage of it.” “The vaping industry continues to innovate around efforts to remove products that appeal to young people from the market.”<\/span><\/div>
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“I don’t think there’s any magic bullet here,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “We are following a comprehensive approach that involves addressing all entities in the supply chain, from manufacturers to importers to distributors to retailers.”<\/span><\/div>
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Former FDA head Mitch Zeller stated that the surge in disposable products was preventable. “I told them: ‘You don’t need a crystal ball to predict that kids will turn to using disposable products that are not affected by this [ban], but it ultimately doesn’t solve the problem,’” Zeller said.<\/span><\/div>
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IRI restricts access to its data and sells it to companies, investment firms, and researchers. This data was shared with the Associated Press by an anonymous source who was not authorized to share the information. IRI declined to comment or confirm this data, stating that the company does not provide such information to news organizations.<\/span><\/div>
