The Florida Retail Federation warned retailers on Tuesday about illegal and potentially dangerous disposable vaping products appearing in the marketplace.
Florida became the number one state in the U.S. for black market products. According to data from manufacturers of nicotine dispensing vaping products, most of the devices containing fentanyl were manufactured in China’s Shenzhen “Vaping District.” In a consumer alert video, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addressed parents on the importance of talking to their children about avoiding all drugs, including vapes.
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
Moody warned that “according to a just-released Families Against Fentanyl report, children younger than 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group” and “we’re also seeing news stories about high school students suffering from complications after using vapes, that might contain fentanyl.”
Retailers are encouraged to be on high alert for any fake or illegal products that may make their way to store shelves due to the lack of federal enforcement at U.S. borders and ports of entry.
The Florida Retail Federation stated the “lack of enforcement or product seizures over the last year stands in stark contrast to the increased flow of illicit, disposable vaping products imported from China over that same time period.”
Fentanyl is a chemical compound estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and undoubtedly deadlier than heroin. The rise of deaths from overdose have skyrocketed since 2020, surpassing gun violence, breast cancer and suicide combined, according to CDC data from Families Against Fentanyl.
The number of fentanyl deaths in the U.S. doubled in just TWO years to over 64,000 deaths. pic.twitter.com/ZeBheLc0Pn
— Families Against Fentanyl (@FafFentanyl) December 16, 2021
The group also encourages retailers to monitor the FDA’s “Red List” of illicit products banned in the United States.
Add comment