CLEVELAND — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed complaints against three Ohio businesses, including a tobacco and vape shop in Wayne County, accusing the stores of allegedly selling illegal flavored vape products in violation of state law.
Yost's office in a press release Tuesday alleged that Orrville Tobacco and Vape Shop in Orrville was one of three stores that illegally sold flavored vape products, which are not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The attorney general said the charges against the shops include "selling illegal vapes, failing to disclose the illegality of these products, and misrepresenting their authorization status."
The other two shops named in Yost's complaint are in Delaware and Cincinnati. The attorney general said the three stores continued to sell the flavored vapes even after his office warned the stores to cease sales on April 5.
"You don't have any idea what is in those vape cartridges," Yost said. "This is a consumer protection issue, particularly when it comes to our youngsters that are still developing, the idea these unregulated, unauthorized vapes are on the market is a real danger."
The FDA has authorized only 27 vape products for sale in the United States, all tobacco or menthol-flavored. Vapes with unnatural flavors including fruit or mint, have consistently been unauthorized under federal policy as officials seek to keep tobacco and vape products out of the hands of underage consumers.
According to Yost's office, a 2023 survey found 9% of middle school students and 20% of high school students in Ohio had reported using vape products. Yost said the crackdown against the vape shops is meant to protect young people from addiction, respiratory issues and other health risks.
