GAO report shows gap between scale of illegal vapes and enforcement

Summary: There are thousands of illegal, candy-flavored e-cigarettes in the U.S., and the government is struggling to stop them. Even though both the Trump and Biden administrations promised to fix this problem, a new report shows the Department of Justice (DOJ) isn't doing enough. Between 2022 and 2025, the DOJ only took 88 enforcement actions, and most of those were just adding online sellers to a list.

Meanwhile, 1.6 million kids are still vaping. They are drawn to sweet flavors that can cause a lifetime of nicotine addiction. Out of 6,000 vape products sold in stores, the FDA has only approved 41. Experts say the government needs to stop going after tiny targets and start going after the big distributors who bring $10.6 billion worth of illegal vapes from China into local gas stations and convenience stores.

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