During their June National Conference, the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) issued a powerful resolution condemning China for targeting America’s children with their illicit vape products.
In addition to aiding and abetting the Mexican cartels in the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States, China has been targeting America’s children with potentially fatal untested ‘e-cigs’ for years.
Without a modicum of shame, China continues to make millions of dollars while sneaking their ‘death in a candy barrel’ into our country.
According to the NSA’s commendable resolution, China has been saturating America’s smoke shops and gas station convenience stores with their poison.
The NSA’s resolution referenced startling data: in 2024, school research indicated that 1.63 million American children used vape, a/k/a e-cigarettes.
While the number of minors using these products has declined, that number is still an imminent health concern.
The vast majority of these products are manufactured in China and smuggled into the United States via small shipping containers with dubious documentation.
They easily circumvent testing and review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and load up their illicit products with excessive nicotine to bolster youth addiction.
The NSA revealed that China intentionally markets its untested mystery vape to children through targeted branding and packaging. They label their products with child friendly names such as ‘Rainbow Candy,’ or ‘Cotton Candy,’ but none of these candy names will yield a special ‘Willy Wonka’ moment for our children.
According to the NSA’s findings, China also masks the appearance of the vape packaging to make it look like “toys, school supplies and water bottles.” And there is no China Surgeon General warning on any of their vape trash.
When you read the NSA’s spot-on resolution, you can see that China is employing a “Hansel and Gretel” marketing approach. They are luring our children into metaphorical huts that appear like Candyland, but are wallpapered and shelved with poison.
The NSA’s resolution is supported by the findings of the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2024. This survey revealed that seven out of ten vape brands that appeal to children are illicit disposable vapes made in China.
They are perpetrating the grand deception on our children while peddling their poison. This is reminiscent of China’s playbook for marketing fentanyl to young Americans.
Using the Mexican cartels for their packaging and as their couriers, China directs the transportation of counterfeit youth-appealing pills that contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
As American parents grieve over the tragic loss of their children to lethal gummies that masquerade as a fun time, China’s cash registers loudly go ‘Ka-ching.’
In the spirit of NSA’s resolution, we need to smash these cash registers and protect our children from China’s deadly deceptive products.
As NSA’s resolution makes clear, the FDA needs to initiate a sustainable unified law enforcement effort to protect our children by addressing appeal and eliminating availability. The NSA is encouraging all law enforcement components to collaborate and maximize resources and intelligence sharing.
The sustained success of multi-agency task forces has made one critical point clear: no law enforcement agency or department is an island. The same can be said for our legislators. We need both state and federal elected officials to work collaboratively to pursue legislation and enforcement initiatives to combat China’s vape infestation.
Denial is not a viable option, and we have to stop China from circumventing FDA review while littering our neighborhoods with their illicit trash.
It is clear that the new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, embraces the spirit of the NSA’s resolution. As does his boss, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. On the FDA.com website, Commissioner Makary stated, “The FDA, working with our federal partners, can and will do more to stop the illegal importation and distribution of e-cigarette products in the United States.”
Commissioner Makary goes on to state, “Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes keep products that haven’t been authorized by the FDA out of the United States and out of the hands of our nation’s youth.” Bravo, Commissioner Makary! The only thing I would suggest is that the Commissioner expand his law enforcement team beyond the feds and also include local and state law enforcement components.
As we have seen with the drug and terrorist task forces, the feds can’t do it alone. Local law enforcement is most impacted by the vape infestation because they have to police it in their communities. They also excel in developing intel, engaging with community leaders and cultivating informants.
I applaud the NSA for pulling back the curtain to expose China’s grand hypocrisy. China banned the sale of flavored vape products to their children, but are taking a blind eye and open wallet to sneaking it into our country to sell to American children.
Par for their course, China has once again made clear that poisonous products that are good for America’s goose ain’t good for China’s gander.
By implementing NSA’s recommended unified approach, we can stop China from targeting our children with their ‘death-in-a-box’ vape products.
Jon Adler is the current president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Foundation and former Director of the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Mr. Adler served in law enforcement for 26 years and retired as the Chief Firearms and Tactical Training Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, S.D.N.Y.
In addition to aiding and abetting the Mexican cartels in the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States, China has been targeting America’s children with potentially fatal untested ‘e-cigs’ for years.
Without a modicum of shame, China continues to make millions of dollars while sneaking their ‘death in a candy barrel’ into our country.
According to the NSA’s commendable resolution, China has been saturating America’s smoke shops and gas station convenience stores with their poison.
The NSA’s resolution referenced startling data: in 2024, school research indicated that 1.63 million American children used vape, a/k/a e-cigarettes.
While the number of minors using these products has declined, that number is still an imminent health concern.
The vast majority of these products are manufactured in China and smuggled into the United States via small shipping containers with dubious documentation.
They easily circumvent testing and review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and load up their illicit products with excessive nicotine to bolster youth addiction.
The NSA revealed that China intentionally markets its untested mystery vape to children through targeted branding and packaging. They label their products with child friendly names such as ‘Rainbow Candy,’ or ‘Cotton Candy,’ but none of these candy names will yield a special ‘Willy Wonka’ moment for our children.
According to the NSA’s findings, China also masks the appearance of the vape packaging to make it look like “toys, school supplies and water bottles.” And there is no China Surgeon General warning on any of their vape trash.
When you read the NSA’s spot-on resolution, you can see that China is employing a “Hansel and Gretel” marketing approach. They are luring our children into metaphorical huts that appear like Candyland, but are wallpapered and shelved with poison.
The NSA’s resolution is supported by the findings of the National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2024. This survey revealed that seven out of ten vape brands that appeal to children are illicit disposable vapes made in China.
They are perpetrating the grand deception on our children while peddling their poison. This is reminiscent of China’s playbook for marketing fentanyl to young Americans.
Using the Mexican cartels for their packaging and as their couriers, China directs the transportation of counterfeit youth-appealing pills that contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
As American parents grieve over the tragic loss of their children to lethal gummies that masquerade as a fun time, China’s cash registers loudly go ‘Ka-ching.’
In the spirit of NSA’s resolution, we need to smash these cash registers and protect our children from China’s deadly deceptive products.
As NSA’s resolution makes clear, the FDA needs to initiate a sustainable unified law enforcement effort to protect our children by addressing appeal and eliminating availability. The NSA is encouraging all law enforcement components to collaborate and maximize resources and intelligence sharing.
The sustained success of multi-agency task forces has made one critical point clear: no law enforcement agency or department is an island. The same can be said for our legislators. We need both state and federal elected officials to work collaboratively to pursue legislation and enforcement initiatives to combat China’s vape infestation.
Denial is not a viable option, and we have to stop China from circumventing FDA review while littering our neighborhoods with their illicit trash.
It is clear that the new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, embraces the spirit of the NSA’s resolution. As does his boss, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. On the FDA.com website, Commissioner Makary stated, “The FDA, working with our federal partners, can and will do more to stop the illegal importation and distribution of e-cigarette products in the United States.”
Commissioner Makary goes on to state, “Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes keep products that haven’t been authorized by the FDA out of the United States and out of the hands of our nation’s youth.” Bravo, Commissioner Makary! The only thing I would suggest is that the Commissioner expand his law enforcement team beyond the feds and also include local and state law enforcement components.
As we have seen with the drug and terrorist task forces, the feds can’t do it alone. Local law enforcement is most impacted by the vape infestation because they have to police it in their communities. They also excel in developing intel, engaging with community leaders and cultivating informants.
I applaud the NSA for pulling back the curtain to expose China’s grand hypocrisy. China banned the sale of flavored vape products to their children, but are taking a blind eye and open wallet to sneaking it into our country to sell to American children.
Par for their course, China has once again made clear that poisonous products that are good for America’s goose ain’t good for China’s gander.
By implementing NSA’s recommended unified approach, we can stop China from targeting our children with their ‘death-in-a-box’ vape products.
Jon Adler is the current president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Foundation and former Director of the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Mr. Adler served in law enforcement for 26 years and retired as the Chief Firearms and Tactical Training Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, S.D.N.Y.
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