NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (DDN) – On Thursday, New York filed a lawsuit against several major electronic cigarette distributors, alleging that these companies have breached state laws banning the sale of vaping flavors and designs aimed at children.
Attorney General Letitia James has announced a lawsuit against middlemen who distribute fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes, such as Puff Bar and Elf Bar, to numerous convenience stores and gas stations throughout the state. This method is different from previous legal actions taken by New York and other states that focused on vaping companies like Juul Labs.
Juul, often criticized for starting the teen vaping trend, has agreed to pay over $1 billion to resolve numerous state and local lawsuits and investigations related to its initial marketing strategies, which featured launch parties and product giveaways. The company ceased the sale of flavors such as mango and mint in 2019 and has lost its appeal among teenagers.
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Chinese-made disposable e-cigarettes, such as Elf Bar, have emerged as the preferred option for high school and middle school students. Products are being shipped into the U.S. without approval from federal health regulators, frequently misidentified as batteries, cell phones, or other items.
The state’s extensive legal complaint highlights significant evidence of unlawful activities, including documents that reveal illegal shipments of flavored vapes to New York. The submission also features images of vibrant e-cigarettes that look like soft drinks and candy, available in flavors such as “fruity bears freeze,” “cotton candy,” and “strawberry cereal donut milk.”
In 2020, New York prohibited all vaping flavors except for tobacco.
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“For too long, these companies have disregarded our laws in order to profit off of our young people, but we will not risk the health and safety of our kids,” James said in a statement.
The lawsuit is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from the companies and aims for a permanent ban on the sale of flavored vapes in New York.
The lawsuit names several companies, including Demand Vape from New York, Evo Brands based in California, Safa Goods located in Florida, and Midwest Goods from Illinois.
Reference: New York sues vape distributors over Elf Bar and other fruit and candy e-cigarettes
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