The Florida Retail Federation recently sounded the alarm on the difficulties small business owners have in combatting the millions of illegal disposable Chinese vapes on the market. As the President of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, I can attest that this is especially true in our Hispanic communities. A lot of our members feel that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has abandoned them and left them with the almost insurmountable challenge of fighting against a multibillion-dollar, multinational, illegal market.
As consumers seek less harmful alternatives to cigarettes, illegal disposable vape product sales have been on the rise. Here in Florida, the increase in illegal disposable vape sales has outpaced similar states like New York. That could be a good indicator if we are helping adults improve their lifestyle through smoking cessation with FDA-authorized products. But unfortunately, just last year, 85% of the market was still dominated by illicit Chinese vape products from companies like Elf Bar, Fume, and HQD.
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