Vaping poses significant health risks, including lung injury and respiratory...

Vaping poses significant health risks, including lung injury and respiratory issues, for young people who use e-cigarettes. Credit: Bloomberg/Gabby Jones

This guest essay reflects the views of Darrin Porcher, adjunct professor at Pace University and a former NYPD lieutenant.

Long Island's streets are being flooded with deadly, harmful chemicals like lead and nickel — and China is profiting from the sales.

China makes the vast majority of illegal flavored vapes that contain those substances. The state-owned China National Tobacco Corporation receives roughly $16 billion per year from the United States. China bans the domestic sale of vape products, but continues to market and ship their dangerous products here.

Vaping poses significant health risks, including lung injury and respiratory issues, for the 10.6% of New York's young people who use e-cigarettes. More safety concerns arise because Chinese-made vapes often bypass U.S. regulations; American-made vaping products approved by the Food and Drug Administration are subject to stringent manufacturing and safety standards. This reduces risks of contamination from heavy metals like lead or cadmium, which have been reported in some cheaply made imports. Studies show that approved devices can help people quit smoking; Public Health England estimates that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking combustible cigarettes.

In response to growing concerns over youth vaping, several Long Island school districts have installed vape detectors in student bathrooms. Lindenhurst Middle School has equipped each of its bathrooms with two vape detectors, 24 devices in all. Once the alarm goes off, the principal receives a notification, and the students in question are connected to professional intervention services.

Law enforcement officials have been seizing illegal products. In Suffolk County, officials confiscated 3,000 illegal vapes from one gas station in Shirley in May. In Melville, police confiscated some 10,000 flavored vape products from a single store. These actions are welcome, but more must be done.

Illegal flavored Chinese vapes continue to flood the market. It is common to walk into a bodega or tobacco store on Long Island or in the greater metropolitan area and see banned flavored vapes for sale. One study discovered that among 2,000 discarded vape cartridges in New York City, 99% were imported from China, and 99% were flavored.

Assemb. Michaelle Solages of Elmont is collaborating with Long Island community organizations to push for enforcement against the sale of illegal flavored vape products. But Long Island can't tackle this threat alone. It needs help from the federal government.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer has demanded that the FDA take further action against Elf Bar, a popular vape product being sold illegally in New York and whose packaging and flavors are aimed at children. He accused the company of intentionally circumventing the FDA’s ban on advertising by using TikTok influencers for promotion. While that would help, the FDA should declare all illegal flavored vapes contraband and work with other federal agencies to seize and destroy these harmful devices. When Chinese manufacturers realize they are swimming upstream against the full force of U.S. law enforcement, they may reconsider whether the juice is worth the squeeze by flooding our borders with illegal vapes. 

New York’s lawmakers should work to stop the International Trade Commission from effectively banning legal, U.S.-made vaping products and encourage the FDA to prioritize approving as many safe, American-made vaping alternatives as possible. This will help to ensure the Chinese black market has no legs to rest upon.

As a former law enforcement official, I see things in a binary fashion — good and bad. Illegal Chinese vapes are harmful and are making New York less healthy and less safe. Let’s leverage the resources of the federal, state, and local governments to end this harm once and for all.

This guest essay reflects the views of Darrin Porcher, adjunct professor at Pace University and a former NYPD lieutenant.

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