Thousands of unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes continue to enter the United States from China, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing government and industry data.
Circana data reviewed by The Associated Press showed more than 11,500 unique e-cigarette products were sold in U.S. stores, a 27% increase from 9,000 in June. These products generated $3.2 billion in revenue in the first 11 months of 2023. Almost all new products are disposable e-cigarettes.
In December, federal agents seized more than 1.4 million illegal e-cigarettes worth $18 million at Los Angeles International Airport. The illegal e-cigarettes were mislabeled as shoes, toys and other items.
While the number of confiscations has been increasing, they represent only a small portion of illegal products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved some e-cigarettes for use by adult smokers and is still reviewing products from several major companies, including former market leader Juul. Regulators consider almost all other e-cigarettes illegal.
However, authorized tobacco-flavored products are not popular. According to Circana, their total sales were only $174 million, accounting for 2.4% of the e-cigarette market.
"Nobody wants them," said one Michigan store owner. "If people wanted them, they would be on the shelves, but they're not."
