According to a report by news.yahoo on December 30, a study has found that despite being federally banned nationwide in the United States, a certain product has still become a favorite choice among children in the state of Utah.
A nationwide survey report on tobacco use among adolescents reveals that disposable e-cigarettes remain the top choice among high school students. Currently, over 1.2 million adolescents are using e-cigarettes, with illicit Chinese brands Elf Bar and Esco Bar ranking first and second among teenagers.
Despite praise from the US FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the declining number of high school students using e-cigarettes, there is a gradual increase in e-cigarette use among middle school students. Concerns are growing over younger children using these highly addictive and dangerous products.
Despite a federal ban on flavored cigarettes in 2020, brands such as Elf Bar, Esco Bar, and numerous others are still available on store shelves in Utah. These products, manufactured in Shenzhen, China, have not complied with the regulations and standards set by the US FDA before being imported into the country.
In recent days, Braden Ainsworth, the head of the Utah Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, has announced that local health authorities will enhance enforcement efforts against these illicit disposable e-cigarettes.
