Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) has sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary, raising concerns about the presence of illegal Chinese nicotine products in the United States. In his letter, Cotton claims that “Communist China is flooding American markets with illegal and potentially dangerous products, and specifically targeting our youth.”
He highlighted that while recent actions by the FDA show some progress, further steps are needed. “While FDA’s actions show progress, more must be done. The work must continue until these products are no longer found in America. To combat Chinese influence, FDA should increase the number of regulated, legal, American products available to consumers. To date, FDA has authorized just 39 e-cigarette products, from only five companies, despite receiving over 26 million applications. Only when adult consumers have legal, regulated, and satisfactory alternatives available in the American marketplace will the market demand for illicit Chinese products disappear,” Cotton wrote.
In his letter dated November 5, 2025, addressed to Commissioner Makary at the FDA’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, Senator Cotton elaborated on his concerns: “I write to express concern about illicit Chinese nicotine products sold in the United States. Communist China is waging a war on Americans by flooding our market with dangerous products, specifically targeting children.”
Cotton referenced findings from the FDA that certain e-cigarettes made in China contain harmful substances such as formaldehyde, lead, and acrolein. He noted studies showing some disposable e-cigarettes can release significant amounts of lead—equivalent to nearly 20 packs of cigarettes per day—and levels of chromium and nickel that increase substantially over time.
The senator also mentioned health incidents linked to these products: “The 2019 EVALI outbreak resulted in over 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths, strongly linked to vitamin E acetate in illicit vapor products. The vitamin E acetate – used as the diluting agent for THC liquid – was a direct export from China.” He cited warnings from law enforcement officials about risks of unregulated Chinese e-cigarettes possibly containing fentanyl—a substance responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in recent years.
Cotton acknowledged federal efforts under the Trump administration aimed at reducing distribution of these illegal devices: “On September 25, 2025, FDA announced the seizure of more than 2.1 million Chinese e-cigarette products across seven states. FDA also announced the seizure of 4.7 million units valued at $86.5 million, the largest ever seizure of its kind.”
He urged further action from regulators and requested answers regarding what additional authority or resources might be necessary for removing these products from store shelves and increasing availability of regulated American-made options.
The full text of Senator Cotton’s letter is publicly available.
