Fight nicotine trafficking to reduce teen vaping

As a law enforcement professional, I am deeply concerned about the escalating issue of teen vaping and its impact on public health and public safety. If we want to combat this issue effectively, we must allocate resources to enforce regulations, dismantle illicit nicotine trafficking networks and remove dangerous vaping products from the hands of our youth.

Although New York has banned flavored vaping products, illegal disposable vapes in kid-friendly flavors are flooding the state. The Food and Drug Administration recently took a positive step in addressing this issue by placing a detainment order for shipments of disposable vapes from China and Korea. As we’ve learned throughout history, New York cannot rely on the federal government to help. Our state needs to take proactive measures to combat illegal nicotrafficking.

New York has an opportunity to use the infusion of Juul settlement funds to establish specialized task forces and enforcement units dedicated to investigating and dismantling these illegal operations within our own borders. The mismanagement of tobacco settlement funds has been a concern raised by organizations like New York Public Interest Research Group in the past. Instead of simply funneling the money into general revenue or unrelated initiatives, we should direct these funds toward bolstering enforcement efforts that will crack down on the illegal tobacco market and combat the sale of illegal vaping products in kid-friendly flavors. Richard Marianos

Washington, D.C. The writer is retired from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.