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Mayor Eric Adams and Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant have taken bold legal action against nine major national distributors accused of flooding New York City with illegal, flavored disposable e-cigarettes — products especially popular among teens and pre-teens.

The federal lawsuit, announced today, targets distributors of flavors such as pink lemonade, watermelon, lychee ice, and banana ice, which are widely viewed as enticing to youth and in violation of local, state, and federal laws.

“Nicotine addiction among middle and high school youth is exploding — fueled in large part to the targeting of our children,” declared Mayor Adams.

“Today’s lawsuit not only builds on our previous two lawsuits against distributors and wholesalers, but makes clear that we will do whatever it takes to keep our children safe and enforce the law when it comes to illegal vape sales.”

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks to block these so-called “master distributors” from further sales in NYC, along with financial penalties and damages. It also builds upon the Adams administration’s highly effective enforcement program, Operation Padlock to Protect, which has sealed over 1,370 illegal cannabis shops and seized more than $94 million in contraband since May 2024.

“This case builds on the city’s ongoing efforts to hold predatory companies accountable for undermining public health and fueling an epidemic of vaping among youth in our communities,” added Corporation Counsel Goode-Trufant.

Among the named defendants are well-known companies such as Puff BAR Inc., MYLÉ Vape Inc., and Safa Goods LLC. Many have close ties to Chinese manufacturers and are accused of violating the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act, New York State Public Health laws, and New York City’s Administrative Code, which bans the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.

The data backing the lawsuit is troubling. According to 2024 figures from the FDA and CDC, 3.8 million U.S. middle and high school students have used e-cigarettes, with over 1.2 million high school students reporting use within the past month. More than one in four users vaped daily, with fruit-flavored and candy-themed products — some packaged like toys or decorated with cartoon characters — cited as major culprits in the youth vaping epidemic.

“I am proud of the incredible work ‘Operation Padlock to Protect’ has done to rid our communities of the illegal cannabis shops that were plaguing our neighborhoods,” said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “This initiative is one of the greatest examples of community and law enforcement at its best.”

“It is illegal to sell flavored e-cigarettes in New York City,” emphasized City Hall Chief Counsel Allison Stoddart. “With this new lawsuit against nine distributors, the Adams administration is continuing to hold companies accountable when they put profits over the health of New Yorkers.”

In tandem with this legal offensive, the administration is also entering a new phase of Operation Padlock to Protect, as it prepares to unseal businesses previously shut down for illegal cannabis sales. Property owners and shopkeepers are being instructed to contact the NYC Sheriff’s Office to begin reopening procedures under strict compliance.

To support legal cannabis operators, the city offers financial resources such as the Cannabis NYC Loan Fund (up to $100,000 per applicant) and training programs through the Department of Small Business Services, helping entrepreneurs navigate commercial leasing, permitting, and business development.

As Mayor Adams concluded, “Every day, we are working to make New York City the best place on the globe to raise a family, and a key part of that mission is protecting the health of our children, which we continue to do every day.”