Online E-cigarettes and vape Retailers are under fire for not complying with sales restrictions.
Regulations are in place to help prevent the sale of vape products to minors, including age verification, shipping methods and flavor restrictions.
Researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego, tested these regulations.
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The study, published last week in JAMA, suggested that some retailers are not following these guidelines.
Of the 156 transactions attempted in this study, 73% were processed and 67% of the orders were delivered. (iStock)
Researchers asked 16 people to buy flavored vapes online and have them delivered to their homes San Diego County
Out of 156 transactions attempted, 73% were processed and 67% orders were delivered.
By March 21, 2024, eight US states and 392 cities or counties have enacted restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco, according to UC San Diego.
“The findings suggest that it is incredibly easy to buy flavored vapor products online, even in areas where they are banned.”
Some restrictions on online transactions are “vague,” he said, including in states like California.
Eight of the buyers in the study were from the city of San Diego, which has an ordinance that prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products, according to a press release.
Failure to comply.
The purchases made in the study violated flavor restrictions as well as laws preventing online sales of e-cigarettes to children.
The act is a “federal law that prohibits the use of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ship vapor products.” [and] Both age verification and scanning identification are required upon delivery,” said UC San Diego.
Research revealed that only 1% of shoppers had their IDs scanned and 81% of deliveries were made via USPS.
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78% of shoppers reported no interaction with delivery personnel, while 15% spoke with delivery personnel but did not check their ID.
Eric Lees, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, discussed the findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
There are regulations designed to prevent online sales of vape products to minors. (iStock)
“The results show that it is incredibly easy to buy flavored vapor products online, even in areas where they are banned,” he said.
“They also suggest that, for the most part, retailers ignore federal and state laws regarding shipping requirements and age verification.”
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Lees cautioned that this is “particularly problematic for efforts to limit. Young vapors“
To prevent these sales from slipping through the cracks, Lees suggested regular checks to “monitor and enforce compliance among online retailers.”
A 2023 study found that online shopping inquiries for vape products were 162% higher than expected. (iStock)
Online e-cigarette sales are “the largest and fastest growing segment of tobacco. [industry]” Lees noted in a press release.
That’s according to Lee’s 2023 study, published in Tobacco Control, which found that online shopping inquiries for cigarettes were 194% higher than expected, and 162% higher than expected for vape products.
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“We need to review tobacco retail policies and ensure they cover e-commerce, and monitor the market to improve enforcement,” he said.
In response to the Tobacco Control Study, California lawmakers recently approved SB-1230, a law to strengthen state tobacco monitoring programs. The law is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2025, the release said.
‘No new problem’
“This is not a new problem,” Micah Berman, an attorney who is a member of the Cancer Control Research Program at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, told Fox News Digital.
The Tobacco Control Act requires the FDA to issue a regulation to address distance sales (including online sales) within 18 months of the law’s enactment, he said.
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“Nearly 14 years after that deadline passed, the FDA has yet to issue such a rule.”
Berman added that the study shows that communities across the country are weakening their local laws “due to easy access to e-cigarettes and other tobacco products online.”
Online e-cigarette sellers failing to comply with regulations “is not a new problem,” according to a lawyer familiar with the issue. (iStock)
“It is not possible for local governments to regulate online sales,” he said. “To make progress on this issue, the FDA must fulfill its responsibility to issue regulations, and it must be more aggressive in its efforts to crack down on illegal online sales.”
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency is reviewing the results of the study.
Fox News Digital reached out to several online vape sellers requesting comment.
