FILE - Varieties of disposable flavored electronic cigarette devices manufactured by EB Design, formerly known as Elf Bar, are displayed at a store in Pinecrest, Fla., June 26, 2023. Health and law enforcement officials are set to face congressional questioning over the rise of illegal electronic cigarettes in the U.S., a multibillion-dollar business that has flourished amid haphazard enforcement by regulators.
The FDA has OK’d a handful of e-cigarettes — including Vuse — as alternatives for adult smokers. All other products on the market, including major sellers like Juul, are pending review or considered illegal by regulators. Former FDA officials have long blamed bureaucratic wrangling between their agency and law enforcement for the slow pace of legal action.
Wednesday’s hearing is the first full-committee session examining the vaping market since 2019, when lawmakers were focused on Juul, the U.S. company widely blamed for sparking the underage vaping trend.