Regulate Smarter Continues “Smarter Regulation Now” Series with former DEA Agent Aaron Graham

As Regulate Smarter continues its work to modernize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approach to nicotine products, the Coalition is releasing the latest installment in its multi-part video series, “Smarter Regulation Now.” Featuring behind-the-scenes testimonials from expert panelists at a recent Coalition-sponsored event in Washington, D.C., the latest episode highlights remarks from Aaron Graham, a retired Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Watch the video here.

Drawing on his extensive experience in national security and the illicit marketplace, including a stint in Guadalajara, Mexico working on major cartel investigations, Graham underscores the serious consequences of policymakers and regulators failing to act in a timely manner against the flood of unauthorized nicotine products. He emphasizes that delay does not simply maintain the status quo—it actively enables greater harm to public health, consumer safety, and law enforcement efforts.

Graham’s comments reinforce a core message of the Coalition: meaningful enforcement must be paired with a more efficient, science-based authorization pathway. Without both, the illicit market continues to expand, often at the expense of the very consumers the regulatory system is meant to protect.

The full video is available here.

Stay tuned for weekly installments of Smarter Regulation Now throughout the summer and into the fall!

AARON GRAHAM: We have a very deadly set of consequences headed our way with a lack of awareness. And when we fail to act in a timely manner, we have significant consequences. So these vapes are being made by rogue operators. They’re not scientists. They're not professionals. They're making products – we don't know what's in them. And my fear is we're going to find out what's in them at the first autopsy.