(Bloomberg Law) -- Makers of e-cigarette products that look like toys and candy and help minors hide their vaping from parents are taking heat from the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA said Monday it has issued warning letters to 10 companies that have been targeting their vaping products at young people.
The companies' wares include backpacks and sweatshirts with stealth pockets for e-cigarettes and concealed vapor hosing woven through the fabric. They also sell vaping devices that resemble smartwatches, portable video-game systems, and fidget spinners, the FDA alleged.
“Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not lost our focus on protecting youth against the dangers of e-cigarettes and will do everything we can to take action,” Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement.
The agency has halted its inspections of vape shops and most other vaping-related compliance checks in response to the coronavirus crisis, it said in the statement. The inspections related to Monday's warnings took place before the pause.
The FDA has also issued warning letters to 95 retailers for selling flavored vaping products, which are subject to a partial federal ban, and has asked more than 110 companies for information related to the marketing of their vaping products.
Candy, Cartoons
Some of the companies marketed e-liquids in packaging meant to look like candy or featuring cartoon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, the agency said.
Selling products to help young people hide their vaping from parents and other adults is particularly disturbing, the FDA said.
The manufacturers who received warnings are: Vaprwear Gear LLC, Vapewear LLC, Wizman Ltd., EightCig LLC, Ejuicepack LLC, Vape Royalty LLC, VapeCentric Inc., Dukhan Store, VapeSourcing, and Shenzhen Uwell Technology Co. Ltd.
A spokesman for Vapecentric declined to comment. The other companies didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Brown in St. Louis at ChrisBrown@bloomberglaw.com
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fawn Johnson at fjohnson@bloomberglaw.com; Alexis Kramer at akramer@bloomberglaw.com
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