Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced a crackdown last week on the sale and distribution of counterfeit e-cigarette and vape products.
The county Department of Consumer Affairs has been investigating complaints of black market vaping products in over 60 locations across the county and has uncovered 15 violations, according to a news release from the county executive.
The 60 locations were in Mineola, Baldwin, Freeport, Oceanside, Rockville Centre and Hicksville.
“With Operation Clear The Air, Nassau County is taking decisive action to protect unsuspecting consumers from counterfeit vaping products, which can be especially dangerous,” Curran said in a statement. “Businesses in Nassau County must ensure they are not selling black market products that are not approved for sale. We have a responsibility to enforce the law and protect the health and safety of our residents.”
Vaping-related illness around the nation surged to 805 last week, according to Tuesday’s statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the agency has suggested that counterfeit vaping products could be associated with the outbreak of illness. The agency said that the illness has resulted in 12 deaths in 10 states.
The Consumer Affairs Department said that several of the counterfeit vape products displayed stickers labeling them for sale in Canada, including product warning information in French and English.
It is unclear whether the products were actually approved for sale in Canada and other foreign countries listed on the stickers.
Violations for the sale of black-market vaping products carry a maximum fine of $5,000.
Nassau County Legislator Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview) introduced legislation at the end of May that would ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarette products in Nassau. Since its introduction, the bill has not been placed on the legislative calendar for a public hearing or a vote.
Drucker’s legislation would allow an e-cigarette ban to remain in place on the county level if a statewide ban was reversed.
A statewide ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine e-liquids, as well as the sale of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, is to take effect on Friday. Retailers who violate the ban will be subject to a fine of up to $2,000 for each offense.
Nassau residents can report retailers who are selling vape products that are labeled for sale in other countries to the Department of Consumer Affairs at 516-571-2600 or fill out a consumer complaint form on the department’s website at https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/2479/Consumer-Complaint-Form.
