Federal enforcement agents have seized an estimated $1.5 million worth of vape products at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, claiming that the vape devices and cartridges were "adulterated and misbranded," The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
The seized products had been sent from China and were to be delivered to a wholesaler in California, per the Star Tribune.
"The excellent intelligence sharing helped our officers identify and intercept these shipments that could potentially harm the health and well-being of people within our communities," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, the director of field operations at the Chicago field office for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a CBP statement.
What's happening?
The Minnesota seizures took place across August and September, with agents confiscating 90,000 vapes and 75,000 cartridges, according to the Star Tribune. Officials alleged that the shipments violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act.
The announced seizures were just the latest example of governments in the U.S. and elsewhere increasingly cracking down on vape products.
In September, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Pam Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, made a high-profile announcement about the seizure of 600,000 vape products at a facility outside Chicago.
Other countries have also been increasing their enforcement of vape products. Malaysia recently announced that it would follow in the footsteps of neighboring Singapore in banning all vape products outright.
Meanwhile, countries like the United Kingdom and Belgium have outlawed single-use vapes, per the BBC.
Why do crackdowns on vape products matter?
The government crackdowns have come amid growing concern about the public health and environmental impacts of vapes. Even legal, nicotine-containing vape products pose severe health risks, particularly to young people, pregnant women, and their fetuses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"There are no safe tobacco products, including e-cigarettes," the CDC said on its website.
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Majorly 😥 Additionally, many vape products have been found to contain illicit drugs. In the U.K., parents and government officials have expressed alarm over the health impacts of vapes laced with synthetic cannabinoids known as "spice." In Singapore, the government has sounded the alarm over vape products containing etomidate, a powerful anesthetic with effects similar to ketamine.
Vaping devices that are improperly disposed of present further risks to public safety, as their lithium batteries can catch fire while in trash bins, garbage trucks, or at waste-disposal sites, putting workers at risk.
Finally, vapes also harm the environment. First, manufacturing vape products releases planet-heating pollution into the atmosphere. Second, vaping devices contain heavy metals like mercury as well as toxic chemicals used as flame retardants, which can leach into the soil and water supplies when vapes are improperly discarded, according to a 2023 study.
What's being done about vape products?
With all their negative impacts on human health, public safety, and the environment, it is no wonder that a growing number of national and local governments are taking steps to crack down on vape products.
If you are an adult and choose to vape, you can better protect your health by using only legal, government-approved products. Also, by properly disposing of your used vape devices at an appropriate e-waste facility, you can help protect the environment and trash-removal workers.
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