Gov. Kathy Hochul is vowing a crackdown on illegal flavored vapes flooding the New York market by creating a registry of legal products to aid enforcement.
Despite being banned in New York and lacking FDA approval, Hochul estimates that as much as 99% of current vape products are flavored.
To stop this trend, Hochul directed the state Department of Taxation and Finance to create a Vapor Products registry that identifies the vapor products that may be legally sold, and those not on the list are outlawed.
Mainly manufactured in China, many flavored vapes are marketed directly to children, according to the governor’s office.
The registry — used in more than a dozen other states — will give law enforcement the clarity they need to quickly identify contraband, shut down criminal networks and protect kids while leveling the playing field for legitimate retailers, Hochul’s office said.
“These actions will minimize and prevent the illegal and dangerous sale of harmful vape products to New Yorkers,” Hochul said in her 2026 State of the State policy book.
New York and the federal government approved laws banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes or vapes popular with young people and adolescents in 2020.
The NYC Sheriff’s Office and the NYPD, as part of their crackdown of illegal cannabis shops, have found that some of the illicit operators were also selling the banned flavored vapes.
Helping law enforcement seize illegal vape products can also help smoke out other criminal activity.
For example, over the last few months:
- Police in Virginia recovered 21 illegal firearms and large quantities of cocaine and illegal cannabis as a result of a large-scale sting of vape retailers.
- North Carolina authorities allegedly uncovered a heroin trafficking operation as a result of a 13-store raid stemming from an illegal vape investigation.
- State regulators in Louisiana recently made 10 arrests and seized $1 million worth of unlawful products, including illegal vapes, nitrous oxide and narcotics such as psilocybin and tianeptine.
- In Florida, 27 people from 20 stores were arrested for selling vapes and psilocybin to minors.