FDA Cracks Down on Web Sites Selling Flavored Cigarettes

By Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: November 09, 2009

WASHINGTON -- The Internet is not a safe haven for merchants selling illegal flavored cigarettes, the FDA warned in a letter to 14 companies still out of compliance with new laws.

The agency threatened to move against companies selling flavored cigarettes online and requested a written response within 15 days outlining a course of action to correct any failures to meet regulations.

The Tobacco Control Act, signed into law in June, specifically targeted cigarettes treated with flavor additives, such as candy, fruit, and herbs, that alter cigarette taste to anything other than menthol or tobacco. (See President Signs FDA Tobacco Bill)

The ban on these flavored cigarettes will help prevent children and teens, who may be enticed by the fruit and candy flavors, from starting to smoke, the FDA said in a statement.

The agency had warned cigarette companies before the law went into effect on Sept. 22 that action would be taken against any who disregarded the ban.

Since that time, the agency has searched the Internet to identify retailers who are marketing now-illegal products to U.S. customers.

Companies failing to comply with the new standard face product seizure or injunction.

The online retailers sold and (and most still offer) various brands of kretek, known in the U.S. as clove cigarettes, with brand names such as Djarum, Dreams, and Gudang. Clove cigarettes are blends of tobacco, cloves, and other flavors.

Although a number of the sites offered imports from foreign countries, many retailers were physically located in the U.S.

Sellers included in the FDA warnings were:

• Texas Wholesale (Dallas, Texas)
• Rokok Zone
• Durango Smoke Shop (Durango, Colo.)
• Amsterdam Tobacco Co. (New York, NY)
• H.J. Bailey Co. (Neptune, NJ)
• Euro-Cigs
• Clove Cigarettes Shop
• Chavez (Louisville, Ky.)
• Heavenly Smoke
• Algisiya Services
• Lim Sin Wei
• Smoke Shop USA (Annapolis, Md.)
• Jeffrey Han (Alameda, Calif.)
• Li Ning