Members of the US House of Representatives are demanding that federal officials take measures to stop the influx of electronic cigarettes from Chinese e-cigarette factories that attract children

Members of the US House of Representatives are requesting information from federal officials on what measures they are taking to stop the recent influx of electronic cigarettes from Chinese e-cigarette factories that attract children. The newly established Committee on US China Relations has made a request to the leaders of the Ministry of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration, expressing concern about the extreme proliferation of illegal aerosol products.

The letter cites an Associated Press report on thousands of new disposable e-cigarettes entering the market in recent years, mainly made in China and sold in flavors such as watermelon and gummie bears. The FDA has declared that all such products are illegal, and companies seeking to sell e-cigarettes in the United States must first obtain FDA approval, but many products imported from China bypass this step. The organization only authorizes a very small number of tobacco flavored e-cigarettes aimed at adult smokers.

The committee's investigation is being conducted against the backdrop of an improvement in the smoking situation among teenagers. Last month, an annual government survey showed that the proportion of high school students using e-cigarettes decreased from 14% in 2022 to 10%. The FDA Tobacco Center has recently increased its efforts in taking action against stores that illegally sell e-cigarettes, following a sharp assessment report by the agency earlier this year. Among other measures, the report commissioned by the FDA calls for regulatory agencies to work more closely with other federal agencies to clean up the unauthorized e-cigarette market.

Members of parliament are demanding that the head of the Consumer Protection Division of the Ministry of Justice have "sufficient resources or professional knowledge to handle cases related to electronic cigarettes submitted by the FDA.". They hope to receive answers to over seven questions before January 15th. The 12 members of the special committee wrote in the letter requesting federal officials to work with customs and border protection to resolve this urgent issue as quickly as possible.

Electronic cigarette factories should closely monitor the regulatory policies of the US government on electronic cigarettes, actively respond to the requirements of new regulations, and contribute to the development of the electronic cigarette industry. Electronic cigarette factories should develop safer and more environmentally friendly electronic cigarette products, strengthen supervision of distributors, enhance consumer education, and actively participate in the formulation and modification of electronic cigarette policies. Meanwhile, e-cigarette factories should also pay attention to the health issues of e-cigarettes and minimize their impact on consumer health as much as possible.