FDA Instructs U.S. Customs to Reject Imports of Some Disposable E-Cigarettes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has told U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to reject imports of some popular, unauthorized, disposable e-cigarettes.

The directive includes brands from more than 20 companies such as Elf Bar, Esco Bar and Eon Smoke.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the companies do not have marketing authorizations and are therefore illegal. The FDA has now placed these products on the “Red List,” which means that CBP can detain shipments without inspecting them.

A 2022 federal survey by the FDA and CDC found that of the 2.6 million youth who regularly use e-cigarettes, more than half of them use disposable products. In March, these three companies sold more than 215 million units across the U.S., accounting for 12 percent of the e-cigarette market – Elf Bar made up the majority of these sales.