The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action against four companies for not obtaining authorization to sell their e-cigarette products in the US. The FDA sent out 550 warning letters to tobacco firms, large and small, from 2021 up until last Friday, and only four companies failed to comply with the federal process. BAM Group LLC, Great American Vapes LLC, The Vapor Corner Inc and 13 Vapor Co LLC did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
The FDA has filed what it calls a civil money penalty, or CMP, against the four companies, and the maximum fine for a single violation of the law is $19,192. The companies have been given 30 days to respond to the FDA’s action, otherwise they will be required to pay the full penalty.
According to Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, the action is meant to be a “wakeup call” that all tobacco product manufacturers, big or small, are required to obey the law. The FDA has the authority to take further action, including seizing products, filing injunctions to not sell the products, and criminal prosecutions.
Erika Sward, the assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association, said the move against these manufacturers is a good one and that the fines are “probably just the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the number of fines that should be levied against not just manufacturers, but also against importers and distributors.
The US Food and Drug Administration has taken action against four e-cigarette makers for not obtaining authorization to sell their products in the US market. The FDA has filed a civil money penalty, or CMP, against the four companies and is seeking the maximum fine of $19,192 per violation. The companies have been given 30 days to respond to the FDA’s action. Dr. Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said the action is meant to be a “wakeup call” that all tobacco product manufacturers must obey the law. Furthermore, the FDA has the authority to take further action if the companies continue to violate the law. Erika Sward of the American Lung Association said the fines are “probably just the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the number of fines that should be levied against not just manufacturers, but also against importers and distributors.