Cotton calls for elimination of illegal CCP vapes

On November 5, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Commissioner Marty Makary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, expressing his concern about the influx of illegal Chinese vapes that are currently flooding the market and targeting young Americans. 

In the letter, Senator Cotton wrote: 

“While FDA's actions show progress, more must be done. The work must continue until these products are no longer found in America. To combat Chinese influence, FDA should increase the number of regulated, legal, American products available to consumers. To date, FDA has authorized just 39 e-cigarette products, from only five companies, despite receiving over 26 million applications. Only when adult consumers have legal, regulated, and satisfactory alternatives available in the American marketplace will the market demand for illicit Chinese products disappear.”

As the CCP tries to influence American lives, Congress continues to provide the Federal Government with more tools to prevent the prevalence of these harmful products in American communities. In total this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have stopped more than 6 million unauthorized e-cigarettes worth over $120 million from entering the country (as of September 10, 2025).Senator Cornyn passed the END Illicit Chinese Vapes Act following the Government Shutdown, providing the FDA full authority to destroy the counterfeit Chinese vapes that are invading the U.S. market. Most recently, Congress’s new $200 million enforcement allocation requires the FDA to channel resources into cracking down on illegal vapes. It includes a $2 million carve-out to support coordinated federal efforts targeting unlawful imports from China, marking an unprecedented increase in national enforcement capacity. The message is clear: America cannot stand idly while foreign adversaries such as China import dangerous products that poison our youth.