Mamdani must work to stop illicit vapes

Now that the dust has settled after the mayoral election and Zohran Mamdani is planning his transition, it is critical that he maintains the progress made by the Adams Administration in protecting New York City’s children from an emerging and growing problem that continues to threaten these young people.

New York is the capital of illicit tobacco trafficking in the United States. I should know: I was New York City Sheriff under Mayor Mike Bloomberg, where I created the law enforcement strategy targeting illegal cigarette and tobacco sales in all five boroughs. At the time, we were focused on the massive profits generated by cigarette smuggling, which were hurting honest retailers and robbing the city of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

While high taxes and bans have long encouraged cigarette smuggling, an even more sinister threat has taken root in recent years: illicit vapes made in China that target our children. These brightly colored, candy-flavored devices are being shipped illegally into our neighborhoods and marketed directly to teens, undoing decades of progress we’ve made in reducing nicotine use among youth.

The scale of this illicit market is staggering. In China alone, the vaping industry is estimated to be worth $28 billion, and despite a federal ban in place for more than five years, about two-thirds of these products reach American consumers. More than 80% of the nicotine vape market is made up of illicit products whose sale is not authorized.

Recent federal and local investigations have revealed just how dangerous some of these “smoking houses” really are. Behind the counters, investigators found drugs, kratom, 7-OH, nitrous oxide, guns and evidence of money laundering. What looks like a neighborhood convenience store may actually be a hub of criminal activity – a front for the importation and distribution of illegal vapes and much worse.

It must be recognized that the Adams administration has treated this problem with the seriousness it deserves. The city seized more than 1,200 pounds of illegal vaping products worth more than $80 million. The transportation was so important that the city had to pay for their destruction just to free up warehouse space.

City lawyers also sued nine major national distributors — including a major supplier located in Buffalo — that have direct ties to Chinese manufacturers who flood our neighborhoods with candy and fruit-flavored vapes aimed at teens.

The new Mamdani administration must make the continuation, and even expansion, of these efforts a priority. This is not about excessive police surveillance, but a matter of public health and equity. During the campaign, Mamdani argued that NYPD officers were being asked to do too much outside of their primary responsibilities. There is nothing more important than protecting our children.

The first concrete step should be securing additional law enforcement resources through recently reallocated federal funding.

As part of the recently passed continuing resolution to end the government shutdown, $200 million in FDA user fees will be dedicated to strengthening enforcement of the illicit vaping market. This funding should be directed to state and local law enforcement who are fighting on the front lines of this battle. New York City should work to secure some of this funding and deploy it at the community level where it is needed most.

While there has been a lot of focus on illegal marijuana dispensaries, we need to look at all smoke shops. Many of these retailers are nothing more than fronts for cartels and organized crime. Meanwhile, law-abiding small businesses that play by the rules are punished when illicit operators get a free pass.

Legal establishments lose customers, the city loses tax revenue and communities lose trust. Letting bad actors operate unchecked sends a message of powerlessness: the system cannot protect children or honest businesses.

The progress made under the Adams administration in combating the scourge of illicit vapes should be a baseline, not a finish line. The new mayor and his team should view cracking down on illegal flavored disposable vapes as a visible, sustained, and high-priority pillar of their public health agenda.

Because when it comes to protecting our children and our neighborhoods, there is no time for lightness. It’s time to double down.

Domenech served as the 117th sheriff of New York. He previously served as director of operations for the DOJ’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. He is a special advisor to the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network.