PRESS RELEASE: Regulate Smarter In The Washington Times: “How Trump Can Fix The Illicit Vaping Crisis”

Chairman Richard Burr commends Trump Administration’s meaningful enforcement action to combat the illicit nicotine market, urges acceleration of authorizations so adults seeking legal, smoke-free alternatives have more options

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a guest op-ed for The Washington Times, former U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), chairman of the Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine (Regulate Smarter), praised early enforcement actions by the Trump Administration cracking down on the illicit vaping crisis, while also urging increased attention to the authorization process for adult consumers seeking legal, smoke-free alternatives.

In the piece, Burr sounds the alarm on the crisis, warning that, “the vast majority come from the People’s Republic of China, including many intentionally marketed to underage users with youth-appealing features, such as gaming device screens. A recent federal seizure coordinated by the Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services uncovered $86.5 million worth of illegal product, nearly all with roots in communist China.”

Burr goes into detail about the “two primary drivers” of the crisis: “the Biden administration’s failure to authorize legal, smoke-free nicotine alternatives to cigarettes, which Chinese manufacturers then exploited. They drove the mass importation of illegal nicotine products into the U.S., which the Biden administration failed to prevent and enforce against.”

The op-ed builds on themes Regulate Smarter has been highlighting since its inception earlier this year, including an August 2025 letter sent to Dr. Marty Makary, Commissioner of Food and Drugs for FDA, outlining five concrete and common-sense reforms to address the flood of illegal and unregulated tobacco and nicotine products into the U.S., effectively enforce the Tobacco Control Act (TCA) and restore order to the marketplace.

Read Burr’s entire Washington Times op-ed HERE.

Regulate Smarter’s web site is available here https://www.regulate-smarter.org/

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The Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine (Regulate Smarter) is comprised of members representing manufacturers, distributors, and retailers committed to operating responsibly within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated marketplace. Regulate Smarter supports an FDA regulatory system that delivers on the original harm reduction vision of the Tobacco Control Act. Chaired by former U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the Regulate Smarter Coalition is committed to advancing a modern, common-sense approach to regulating tobacco and nicotine that is grounded in science. To learn more, visit: https://www.regulate-smarter.org/