US FDA, CPB seize illegal e-cigarettes worth $18 million

Dec 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with the Customs and Border Protection (CPB) has seized more than $18 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarettes which included brands such as Elf Bar, the health regulator said on Thursday.

About 1.4 million units were confiscated in a joint operation at a cargo examination site at Los Angeles International Airport, the FDA said in a statement, as the agency moves to stem the flow of illegal e-cigarettes into the United States.

Elf Bar was the most commonly used e-cigarette brand among the youth, according to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey. In addition to Elf Bar, other seized brands included EB Create, Lost Mary, Funky Republic, RELX Pod and IPLAY Max.

While attempting to smuggle the e-cigarettes, the items were intentionally mis-declared as toys or shoes and listed with incorrect values.

Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged governments to have tobacco-style controls and ban all flavours of e-cigarettes or vapes.

The push for stringent regulations on newer nicotine products comes at a time when tobacco giants like Philip Morris International, Altria Group and British American Tobacco bet on e-cigarettes to capture the growing demand for these products. (Reporting by Annett Mary Manoj; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)