The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and the U.S. government have cracked down on an e-cigarette producer producing illicit “vaping” products.
Soul Vapor LLC and the company’s owner, Aurelius Jeffrey, have been hounded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that their products were illegal.
The FDA warned the company and owner about creating, selling, and shipping these devices in West Virginia and across state lines.
Soul Vapor and its owner ordered to cease making illicit products
The action from the West Virginia court, the FDA, and the government surrounds electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). These devices have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional cigarettes and tobacco products despite health risks.
However, for these products to be sold, the FDA must approve the method by which they are created according to regulations and ensure their safety. Soul Vapor’s products were found to be outside of the FDA’s regulations.
The FDA has approved twenty-seven products across the United States, showing the strict regulations in place. The production and sale of illegal products have caught the Justice Department’s and FDA’s attention to merit the creation of a task force targeting these producers outside the regulated bounds.
Soul Vapor has already been the subject of court action, with the court documents stating that the court “granted the government’s motion for summary judgment against the defendants, finding that the defendants violated the FDCA and submitted materially false information to FDA” previously.
Soul Vapor and Jeffery are now banned from manufacturing, distributing, or selling a tobacco product that has “not received marketing authorization from FDA.” Both parties have been instructed to destroy all remaining equipment, stock, and other materials to create these unregulated items.
“FDA has clearly outlined what manufacturers need to do to comply with the law, and we are committed to holding those who fail to do so accountable,” said Director Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H. of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “FDA will continue to work with our federal partners to identify and bring enforcement actions against these bad actors.”
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