Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is among a coalition of attorneys general representing 28 states and Guam calling on the Trump administration to crack down on illegal Chinese e-cigarettes being flooded into the U.S.
The attorneys general request the administration’s assistance in operating a “coordinated national effort” to stop the flow of “dangerous illegal products” from China, specifically flavored e-cigarettes, which are often marketed to children.
Last year, billions of dollars’ worth of illegal Chinese e-cigarettes were sold in the US.
The majority of these being marketed to our youth.@AGTennessee joins @AGIowa and 26 states calling on the Trump Administration to take action to save lives and halt China's attacks on… pic.twitter.com/1hItvOjy0Q
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) April 11, 2025
Noting how Chinese e-cigarettes target American youth by the use of “colorful packaging, sweet flavors, and video-game themes,” the attorneys general warn that the FDA has never approved the e-cigarettes and “often emit much higher levels of nicotine and potentially harmful contaminants.”
“Indeed, many of these products are illegal even in China,” the attorneys general wrote in a letter dated April 10 to top Trump administration officials and cabinet members.
The attorneys general explain that such products are “intentionally mislabeled” when shipped to the U.S. to avoid detection by the FDA or U.S. Customs and Border Protection and also evade inspections and basic security procedures.
“Illegal Chinese e-cigarettes evade regulation and pose a risk to public safety,” the coalition said.
The attorneys general are calling on the Trump administration to crack down on the e-cigarettes flooding the U.S. market from China by instructing a federal multi-agency task force to prioritize curbing the distribution and sale of such products, giving Customs and Border Protection the power to seize illicit tobacco products, prosecuting and increasing penalties for violators who help peddle such products, and strengthening enforcement at the border to crack down on such products.
“We hope this Administration will continue its fight against the national threat posed by illegal Chinese e-cigarette products and take action to stop the ongoing violations of state and federal law by parties engaged in their manufacture, import, distribution, and sale,” the coalition said.
The call for a crack down on illegal Chinese e-cigarettes comes at a time in U.S. history when overall youth tobacco use is at a record low, however, most children who report using e-cigarettes are using illegally smuggled Chinese-made products, according to the FDA.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
