FRIDAY, June 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has sent warning letters to 189 retailers, telling them to stop selling unauthorized tobacco products such as Elf Bar and Esco Bars.

Both brands are disposable e-cigarettes sold in flavors known to appeal to children and teenagers, including bubblegum and cotton candy. A federal ban on flavored vapes that was issued in early 2020 does not cover disposable vapes.

The warning letters were sent following a nationwide inspection blitz conducted over several weeks.

“All players in the supply chain — including retailers — have a role in keeping illegal e-cigarettes off the shelves,” Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of FDA Center for Tobacco Products, said in the agency news release. “This latest blitz should be a wake-up call for retailers of Elf Bar and Esco Bars products nationwide. If they’re waiting for a personal invitation to comply with the law, they might just get it in the form of a warning letter or other action from the FDA.”

To help prevent these products from illegally entering the marketplace, the FDA issued import alerts for products under both the Elf Bar and Esco Bars brands. An import alert puts these products on the red list, which allows the FDA to detain a product without physically examining it at the time of entry. Last month, the FDA issued orders allowing customs officials to seize shipments of Elf Bar, Esco Bars, and two other brands.

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