New York City Mayor Adams announced on April 7 that the city has filed a federal lawsuit against nine e-cigarette distributors across the United States. The lawsuit accuses these companies of violating federal and state laws by intentionally marketing their products with attractive fruit flavors and marketing tactics to minors. Mayor Adams has prohibited further sales and demanded compensation.
The lawsuit, led by the city’s legal department, alleges that the companies involved are following the traditional tobacco industry’s strategy to make teenagers addicted to nicotine. The city seeks a court order to prohibit the defendants from continuing to sell related products in New York City and to pay substantial fines and damages.
“These companies blatantly disregard the law, prioritizing profit over public safety and health,” Mayor Adams stated in front of a sealed vape shop in East Harlem. The shop was closed down for allegedly selling illegal e-cigarettes, symbolizing the latest success of the city’s crackdown.
The 9 companies being sued are: 10 Days, Evo Brands, Midwest Goods, MYLÉ, MVH I, Puff BAR, PVG2, Safa Goods, and SV3.
City legal advisor Muriel Goode-Trufant said that the lawsuit invokes the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, the RICO Act, and New York City administrative regulations to accuse the defendant companies of engaging in mail fraud and public harm. She noted that the companies involved are often connected to manufacturers in China and sell directly to New York City through distributors and online platforms.
Goode-Trufant pointed out that e-cigarette products with flavors like “pink lemonade” and “banana ice” are clearly targeted at youth, leading to “the largest increase in youth nicotine use rates ever.”
Since the launch of the “Lock Up the Vape” campaign in May 2024, over 1,370 illegal vape shops have been shut down, with a total value of seized products exceeding $94 million. Adams mentioned that these illegal stores expanded rapidly during the pandemic, with a significant impact on African American and Latino communities.
As an extension of efforts to combat illegal vaping products, Adams also announced that for sealed businesses, the city will initiate a reopening application process only for those in compliance with regulations. Adams issued a warning, saying, “We’re not short of padlocks. If they haven’t learned their lesson, we will seal them again.”
Adams specifically praised the activism of young people participating in anti-e-cigarette campaigns and commended the “Escape the Vape” movement initiated by M.S. 129 in the Bronx for its impact.
“The real agents of change in society are young people,” the mayor said. “If they no longer see vaping as cool, then we will win this battle even more quickly.”